The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Cuddalore News : 'Chennai supply won't curtail farmers' regular quota'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore

'Chennai supply won't curtail farmers' regular quota'

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, OCT. 13. The Cuddalore Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, has allayed the fears of the Veeranam ayacutdars by stating that the pumping of water from the tank to Chennai would in no way curtail the supply for irrigation.

Addressing a seminar on "Samba crop" organised by the Agriculture Department as part of the World Food Day and International Rice Year celebrations at K.C.R.Kalyana Mandapam in B.Mutlur near here today, he gave the assurance that the Veeranam farmers would get their regular quota, and in fact, this time around special measures had been taken to supply them additional quantum of water.

He pointed out that the Veeranam tank had a limited storage capacity, and hence, during normal monsoon season, the excess water from the tank was being drained into the sea. And the New Veeranam Project was so planned to tap this excess water that would otherwise go waste.

Hitherto, it had been the practice to release 10 per cent of the Mettur water realisation at Grand Anicut into the Veeranam tank. But he had requested the Government to augment the release to 15 per cent, so the tank level would be comfortable to meet the Chennai requirements.

Accordingly, from October 6 the tank was getting an additional supply of 1,200 cusecs of water from the Grand Anicut, and from this, only 460 cusecs was being tapped for Chennai. Therefore, the Veeranam ayacutdars were now left with an additional 740 cusecs of water, besides their usual quota, he added.

The Collector said the "samba season campaign" was started to give a thrust to paddy cultivation in the rice belt of Chidambaram and Kattumannarkoil. Paddy was raised on 1.19 lakh hectares in the district in five seasons: sornavari (6,500 ha), kuruvai (8,500 ha), samba (87,500 ha), thaladi (5,200 ha), and navarai (11,300 ha).

The samba production of 2.78 lakh tonnes constituted 74 per cent of the total rice cultivation in the district. The rice productivity now stood at 3,665 kg per ha, and efforts were on to increase the productivity by adopting the five-pronged strategy such as supplying quality seeds, improving irrigation sources, extending credit facility, ensuring plant protection chemicals and adopting modern technology.

Funds allotted

As part of the development of water sources, Rs 20 lakhs had been allotted for strengthening the Walajah Eri bund and the Neyveli Lignite Management too had been sounded to allot funds for the purpose— Rs 2.70 crores for desilting over 130 irrigation channels (many of these remain silted for over 10 years), and Rs 4.40 crores for other related works.

The Collector said a consultative committee, with farmers' representatives, had been constituted to monitor the execution of each these works.

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'Chennai supply won't curtail farmers' regular quota'