<p>Chennai: The sluices of the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur were on Thursday opened to facilitate lakhs of farmers in the Cauvery Delta region to cultivate kuruvai (short-term crop) in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin. In line with the tradition, the 91-year-old dam was opened on June 12, the designated date, after missing the date in 2024 due to non-availability of adequate water. </p> <p>Before travelling to Mettur from Salem, Stalin held a 6-km-long roadshow, the second since the beginning of this month after Madurai. Accompanied by seven cabinet ministers, Stalin oversaw opening of the sluices of the reservoir, whose water level stood at 114.910 tmcft against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) with water level at 85.583 tmcft</p> <p>In 2024, the dam was not opened on June 12 due to non-availability of adequate water with Tamil Nadu blaming Karnataka, the upper riparian state, for not adhering to the monthly release of water due to it as mandated by the Supreme Court in its February 2018 order. However, the dam was reopened on July 28, 2024, after the southeast monsoon intensified in the second week of the month. </p>.Farmers want Almatti dam height to be raised; plan stir on June 30. <p>Officials said as much as 138.52 tmcft of water is needed between June 12 and September 15 to cultivate kuruvai (short-term) crop of paddy in an area of about 5.22 lakh acres. “Of this, 125.68 tmcft of water will be utilized from the Stanley Reservoir and the remaining 12.84 tmcft will be from rains and groundwater. The water will help farmers in Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirapalli, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, and Ariyalur districts,” a senior government official said. </p> <p>While the outflow was 3,000 cusecs in the morning, it was increased to 10,000 cusecs in the evening and will further be increased according to the needs of the farmers. For samba (long-term paddy crop) in an area of 12.10 lakh acres, as much as 268.47 tmcft of water is needed, the official added. </p> <p>‘Cauvery’ S Dhanapalan, a farmers’ association leader, said it has been planned to cultivate paddy over an area of 7 lakh acres across the Delta region against the usual 5.22 lakh acres. “The support of machines is one reason for people to opt for kuruvai cultivation in a larger area with dependence on pesticides being the second. Also, no other crop can give them quick money in about 100 days other than paddy. Also, the government provides a minimum support price (MSP) for paddy,” he said. </p> <p>The dam, built in 1934 during the British regime, is usually opened on June 12 for cultivation of kuruvai but it has missed the deadline many times in the past. It was opened on June 12 in 2020 and 2021 and the DMK government in 2022 advanced the release of water to May 24 as there was enough water in the dam. In 2023, the dam was opened on June 12. </p>
<p>Chennai: The sluices of the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur were on Thursday opened to facilitate lakhs of farmers in the Cauvery Delta region to cultivate kuruvai (short-term crop) in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin. In line with the tradition, the 91-year-old dam was opened on June 12, the designated date, after missing the date in 2024 due to non-availability of adequate water. </p> <p>Before travelling to Mettur from Salem, Stalin held a 6-km-long roadshow, the second since the beginning of this month after Madurai. Accompanied by seven cabinet ministers, Stalin oversaw opening of the sluices of the reservoir, whose water level stood at 114.910 tmcft against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) with water level at 85.583 tmcft</p> <p>In 2024, the dam was not opened on June 12 due to non-availability of adequate water with Tamil Nadu blaming Karnataka, the upper riparian state, for not adhering to the monthly release of water due to it as mandated by the Supreme Court in its February 2018 order. However, the dam was reopened on July 28, 2024, after the southeast monsoon intensified in the second week of the month. </p>.Farmers want Almatti dam height to be raised; plan stir on June 30. <p>Officials said as much as 138.52 tmcft of water is needed between June 12 and September 15 to cultivate kuruvai (short-term) crop of paddy in an area of about 5.22 lakh acres. “Of this, 125.68 tmcft of water will be utilized from the Stanley Reservoir and the remaining 12.84 tmcft will be from rains and groundwater. The water will help farmers in Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirapalli, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, and Ariyalur districts,” a senior government official said. </p> <p>While the outflow was 3,000 cusecs in the morning, it was increased to 10,000 cusecs in the evening and will further be increased according to the needs of the farmers. For samba (long-term paddy crop) in an area of 12.10 lakh acres, as much as 268.47 tmcft of water is needed, the official added. </p> <p>‘Cauvery’ S Dhanapalan, a farmers’ association leader, said it has been planned to cultivate paddy over an area of 7 lakh acres across the Delta region against the usual 5.22 lakh acres. “The support of machines is one reason for people to opt for kuruvai cultivation in a larger area with dependence on pesticides being the second. Also, no other crop can give them quick money in about 100 days other than paddy. Also, the government provides a minimum support price (MSP) for paddy,” he said. </p> <p>The dam, built in 1934 during the British regime, is usually opened on June 12 for cultivation of kuruvai but it has missed the deadline many times in the past. It was opened on June 12 in 2020 and 2021 and the DMK government in 2022 advanced the release of water to May 24 as there was enough water in the dam. In 2023, the dam was opened on June 12. </p>