Water release from major dams in Nellai district not adequate: Ryots

state government had failed to consider the banana crop planted over around 15,000 acres in the tail end.

TIRUNELVELI: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s order to release 1,000 cusecs of water for irrigation from the major dams in Tirunelveli district has failed to enthuse the farmers here, who feel that the discharge level will not help the dying banana crop in the tail-end areas.

Responding to the chief minister’s order to release water from the Papanasam, Servalaru and Manimutharu dams in the four irrigation channels of Kodaimelaligiyan, South Kodaimelaligiyan, Nathiyunni and Cannadian channel, banana plantation farmers at the tail-end in Srivaikundam and Aathoor regions of Thoothukudi district said that state government had failed to consider the banana crop planted over around 15,000 acres in the tail end. ”

The four channels in which the water is to be released for 20 days from August 21 will benefit only farmers in the upper part of the Thamirabarani system,” said farmers in Thoothukudi district.

The chief minister’s order also failed to enthuse farmers in Tirunelveli district as according to Chinnakannu, a farmer from Pappakudi near Ambasamudram in the district, 1,000 cusecs of water ordered to be released from the dams would be inadequate and of no use to save the standing crop that is drying up. Farmers hence demand an increase in discharge quantity and extension of the discharge for at least a month.

Speaking to DC, a PWD official, however, said that water levels at the major dams in the district are comfortable enough to increase the discharge quantity to benefit farmers, both in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts.