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Namakkal ryots hope to see better days

By Our Staff Reporter

NAMAKKAL, AUG 13. Farmers in Pallipalayam region of Namakkal district served by the East Bank Canal, which has not received adequate supplies in the past three years, are hoping that the authorities would release enough water to take up samba paddy cultivation in time this year. Also, they pin their hopes on seasonal rain that had failed them in the past couple of years.

Water is released into the East Bank Canal, about 65 km long and irrigating fields in parts of Salem, Namakkal and Erode districts, usually between August 1 and December 15 every year. During the four and a half months, about 9.5 tmcft is supposed to be released for irrigation as per the Public Works Department data.

In Namakkal district, on an average 4,410 hectares of East Bank Canal ayacut mostly in the Pallipalayam region comes under samba paddy. Water was let into the canal, which runs to a length of 18 km in Namakkal district, for drinking water purposes and for Adi festival but farmers did not greatly benefit from it. Due to inadequate water supply and drought in certain pockets of the ayacut, samba paddy was raised in only 1,586 hectares last year. But the farmers and the Agriculture Department officials hope to see better days in the coming season as the Mettur Dam, which feeds the East Bank Canal, has received copious flows.

So far samba paddy nurseries have been raised in about 10 hectares in Pallipalayam block, but since the samba season in this region runs up to October, adequate nurseries would be raised to meet the usual coverage, according to the Assistant Director, Agriculture, Tiruchengode, R. Subramaniam.

Promoting green gram

Also, the standing sorghum (200 hectares), tapioca (50 ha), groundnut (230 ha), sugarcane (150 ha) and other crops in the East Bank Canal ayacut would greatly benefit if water was let into the canal, officials said.

Detailing the Department's plans for promoting green gram

as an alternative to groundnut in Elachipalayam and Mallasamudram blocks, Mr. Subramaniam said during the year over 10 tonnes of certified green gram seeds had been distributed to the farmers in the region. The department wanted to popularise green gram as an alternative to groundnut, which is affected in the pod formation stage due to dry conditions, while the 65-70 day green gram fetches an assured return to the farmers.

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