Tamil Nadu   

Year augurs well for delta farmers

G.Srinivasan

They are relieved at loan waiver, storage in Mettur dam

Thanjavur: This year augurs well for the farmers of the Cauvery delta districts — thanks to the waiver of co-operative loans by the new State Government and the comfortable storage (112 ft) at the Mettur dam.

The farmers' enormous debt burden has been considerably reduced — made almost nil by the Government order signed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

`Hopeful'

Mr. Karunanidhi had also said that he was hopeful of opening the Mettur dam on June 12, the usual date.

Opening of the dam on June 12 will ensure Kuruvai cultivation in the delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam. Kuruvai is a money-spinner and it will go a long way in improving the economy of the farmers.

The dam could not be opened on the traditional date of June 12 from 2002 to 2005 due to poor storage. In 2002, it was opened on September 6 when the water level stood at 98.09 ft with a storage of 62.393 tmc ft. In 2003, it was opened on October 7 when the level stood at 66.86 ft with a storage of 30.062 tmc ft. In 2004, it was opened on August 12 when the level was 72.26 ft with a storage of 34.672 tmc ft. In 2005, it was opened on August 4.

Severe drought

For the past four years the farmers of the delta have been facing severe drought and unprecedented floods in November and December of 2005.

While the severe drought affected production and increased the debt burden of farmers who were unable to repay loans, the unprecedented floods in 2005, helped at least in one way, left a comfortable storage in Mettur dam. Because of the late opening of the dam, kuruvai was restricted to only to pumpset irrigated areas in the past four years. This year, kuruvai can be taken up both in pumpset irrigated areas as well as canal irrigated areas.

Yet another silver lining is that the assessors of Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal have assessed the requirement of Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as 395 tmcft and 250 tmcft , 34 tmcft for Kerala and seven tmcft for the Karaikal region of Pondicherry. They have also suggested forming a committee with the Prime Minister as chairman for implementing the final award of the Tribunal, which is going to be announced soon.

While many farmers heaved a sigh of relief over the waiver of co-operative loans, there are many more who borrowed from nationalised banks, as the co-operative banks were not able to give them loans.

They have also appealed to the Government to find ways for waiving their loans.

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