Even as the farmers are sceptical about going in for ‘kar’ paddy cultivation this year following southwest monsoon failure, water was released from Ramanadhi, Gadana and Adavinainar dams on Wednesday for the first paddy season.
The discharge of water from these three dams is likely to benefit 7,143 acres of land in 34 villages in western Tirunelveli.
Collector Sandeep Nanduri, who released water from Ramanadhi dam, said 60 cusecs of water was being discharged from this reservoir for the benefit of 1,008 acres in 11 villages. The 125 cusecs of water being released from Gadana dam will nourish paddy to be raised on 3,987 acres of land in 12 villages.
Over 2,147 acres of land in 11 villages will be benefited from the 25 cusecs of water being discharged from Adavinainar dam.
“Release of water from the dams will be sustained for 98 days (till October 31) to meet agricultural and drinking water needs. Since storage level in the dams is not satisfactory, the farmers should use the water judiciously. A monitoring team, comprising of officials from revenue, PWD and police departments has been formed to check injudicious use of water,” Mr. Sandeep said.
Sub-Collector, Cheranmahadevi P. Akash, Assistant Collector (Training) Ilam Bhagavath and senior PWD officials were present.
In neighbouring Kanniyakumari, release of 631 cusecs of water from Petchipaarai dam in Ananthanar and Thovaalai channels commenced on Wednesday for the ‘kannipoo’ paddy cultivation.
Though water from Petchipaarai dam was released on two occasions recently (121 cusecs and then 200 cusecs), most of the cultivable lands in the district remained dry and the paddy crop cultivated in several places were about to wilt.
To save the standing crops and enable the farmers in the tail-end areas to go in for paddy cultivation, quantum of water being released from the dam was increased to 631 cusecs on Wednesday even as the PWD and Agriculture Department officials are monitoring the release of water in channels.
“If the quantum of water now being released in the irrigation channels is not sufficient to meet the present needs, it is likely to be increased to 800 cusecs as water from Perunchaani dam will also be discharged,” PWD sources said.