With turmeric harvesting in its final leg, farmers in Modakkurichi block wanted water to be released into the Kalingarayan Canal for a week.
Water from the canal helps in irrigating 15,743 acres in the blocks of Erode, Modakkurichi and Kodumudi. Paddy, turmeric and plantation is widely cultivated in ayacut areas under Kalingarayan canal that runs for 90.5 km.
Discharge of water from the Bhavanisagar Dam to the canal for the current season was stopped on March 23. However, farmers in many villages in the block said that they are in the final leg of harvesting turmeric which needs adequate water. They said that due to intense heat, water requirement for the turmeric crop has gone up and only watering the crop, harvesting could be completed. They urged the district administration to release water for another one week so that they could complete the harvest.
Farmers said that adequate water is available in the Bhavanisagar Dam and hence, release of water for a week would not affect the water storage level much. They said that they had made a representation to the District Collector C. Kathiravan seeking water release and expect a positive response at the earliest.