TN Government Announces Rs 134.83 Crore Kuruvai Package Amid Mettur Dam Water Shortage
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a Rs 134.83 crore kuruvai special package to support paddy cultivation, but the initiative has failed to cheer farmers in the Cauvery delta region, including Trichy, as water from the Mettur dam could not be released on its scheduled June 12 date due to low storage levels.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay attributed the delay in releasing water from the Mettur dam to a delayed southwest monsoon and the El Niño effect. The low water level at the dam, which stands at 79.5 feet (41.5 TMC) against its maximum capacity of 120 feet (93.4 TMC), has left thousands of farmers in the delta districts in distress as they cannot begin sowing.
Under the newly announced package, the government has allocated Rs 77.50 crore for delta districts and Rs 57.33 crore for non-delta areas. The funds are intended to provide incentives for machine transplantation, direct sowing, bio-fertilizers, micronutrients, and certified seeds.
However, local farmers have expressed concern that the package is of little use without adequate water supply. P. Kamal Ram, leader of the Tamil Nadu Kadaimadai Vivasaayigal Sangam, who is unable to cultivate his 10 acres in Thalaignayiru, Nagapattinam, noted that those entirely dependent on Cauvery river irrigation cannot benefit from the package because the local groundwater is saline.
According to state figures, paddy is normally grown on 52.72 lakh acres across Tamil Nadu, which includes 20.65 lakh acres in delta districts. This year, the government estimates that only up to 3.55 lakh acres can be cultivated in the delta region using groundwater from borewells and tube wells.
Agriculture Minister R. Vinoth stated that Chief Minister Vijay would not abandon the farmers and would provide relief if they are affected by the water shortage. At least 50 percent of the delta farmland relies solely on Cauvery canals, and falling groundwater levels have further heightened agricultural concerns.