Delta farmers worried as water level in Mettur dam drops

Chennai: Samba farmers in Delta districts of Tamil Nadu are worried as water level in Mettur dam has come down to 53 ft only.

Due to low-level of water in Mettur dam, farmers have not commenced Samba cultivation.

In 2022 during the same period, the water level in Mettur dam was 120 ft.

R. Arumukasamy, a Samba farmer told IANS: "The Karnataka government has announced that it would release 10 tmcft Cauvery water. However, the farmers are not much interested as this water is not enough to even sustain the standing Kuruvai cultivation."

Arumukasamy also said that he had made arrangements to raise Samba nurseries by using groundwater but is not certain on sustaining the crop as the water flow from Cauvery is not guaranteed.

Tamil Nadu side had leveled protests against Karnataka in the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) in New Delhi for not releasing sufficient water to the state, thereby risking its Samba cultivation.

With Karnataka announcing the release of only 10 tmcft water, the Tamil Nadu farmers are resorting to protests at the street level.