Kerala - Palakkad   

Farmers in Chittur fear loss of first crop

PALAKKAD: Farmers in the ‘rice bowl’ of Chittur in Palakkad district may be forced to abandon the first crop of paddy on 45,000 acres on account of not receiving water from the inter-State Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) and low rainfall.

District Collector A.T. James will hold a meeting of the Project Advisory Committee of the PAP on Saturday to decide on whether to take up the first crop.

Farmers, under the banner of the Parambikulam Aliyar Water Protection Committee, took out a march to the Irrigation Department office in Chittur on Wednesday demanding steps to save the crop. They said the government should intervene to ensure the release of the State’s share under the PAP pact.

Officials of the Joint Water Regulation Board said the State had sought 600 MC ft. water from the PAP for Chitturpuzha irrigation to take up paddy planting in May, but Tamil Nadu did not release it citing low storage position in the Aliyar Dam. Paddy replanting could have begun on May 15, if water was released as per PAP agreement. Under the agreement, water should be released from May 15 to July 15 to take up the first crop of paddy.

Officials said Tamil Nadu had now agreed to release 130 Mc ft. water, the share of the new water year of July, from the PAP. They said Tamil Nadu authorities had been asked to release 500 MC ft. water from June 1, but they wanted a directive from their government.

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