Thaladi paddy crop has dried up in a field due to lack of adequate irrigation at Vannarappettai village near Thanjavur.
| Photo Credit: R. VENGADESH
With the late thaladi paddy crop yet to reach the harvest stage in many parts of delta region, farmers are clamouring for release of additional water from Stanley Reservoir in Mettur.
They have been resorting to sporadic protests over the past few days, demanding release of water for irrigation till mid-February as the crop is withering.
Release of water for irrigation from Mettur Dam was stopped on the usual date of January 28. The dam was opened on the customary date of June 12, 2025 for the irrigation season. Currently, about 2,000 cusecs is released from the dam for drinking water purposes.
On Monday, a group of farmers staged a road blockade at Vannarpettai on Thanjavur-Tiruvaiyaru Bypass Road seeking release of more water in Grand Anicut (GA) Canal. The farmers complained that the crop raised on over 750 acres in Vannarapettai, Alakudi and Karambai were withering. Police and Water Resources Department officials had to intervene and persuade them to disperse after assuring them that their demand would be considered.
P. R. Pandian, general secretary, Tamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam, presented a petition to the Thanjavur Collector on the issue on Tuesday, urging Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to order the release of 10,000 cusecs of water from Mettur till February 20 “to save the withering crops” as an emergency measure.
Mr. Pandian claimed that the paddy crop on about three lakh acres was in danger of withering for want of water, forcing farmers to resorting to road blockades in various places. “We are aware of the need to conserve the water available in Mettur Dam. But at the same time we all have the responsibility to save the withering crops,” he told reporters.
Mr .Pandian maintained that many farmers had to go for a late thaladi crop as they had to cultivate twice due to the damage caused to the young crop by the heavy rain in October last.
According to Cauvery Dhanapalan, president, Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangankalin Kootamaippu, about 1.50 lakh acres of late thaladi crop in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts required water for two more wettings this month. “The crop is around 60 days old. With one wetting, the crop on about 75% of the area can be saved and the rest of the area would require another wetting,” he said and added that farmers were expecting a spell of rain this month besides the release of water from Mettur.
Sources in the WRD told The Hindu that efforts were being made to provide a wetting to the crops by releasing the limited quantum of water available in the barrages at Mayanur, Mukkombu and Kallanai. A turn system was being adopted to release the water in the GA Canal, Cauvery and Vennar.
Published – February 03, 2026 06:21 pm IST
