Tamil Nadu farmers urge early water release for kar paddy cultivation amid dam storage concerns

A group of farmers in Tamil Nadu's Gopalasamudram area has petitioned the District Collector to expedite the release of water through the Kannadiyan Channel for the upcoming kar season paddy cultivation. The plea was submitted during the weekly grievances redressal meeting on Monday.

The farmers, representing eight irrigation tanks—Nambinerikulam, Vaagaikulam, Velankulam, Koththankulam, Kandupidiththaankulam, Sengulam, Omanallur Periyakulam, and Piraanchery Periyakulam—stated that these tanks depend on the Kannadiyan Channel, one of eight major irrigation channels in the Tamirabharani Basin. Water is typically released from the Papanasam Dam on June 1 each year for the kar season, but this year the release has been delayed.

According to the petitioners, while water has been released to channels in Vickramasingapuram and Ambasamudram areas, the eight tanks have been waiting since June 13 for their share. Farmer Vanamaamalai of Gopalasamudram warned that delayed release would push sowing to late July or August, exposing the crop to the northeast monsoon in November during harvest. This, he said, could also jeopardize the subsequent pisanam season.

Officials from the Water Resources Department, however, attributed the delay to insufficient storage in the Papanasam and Manimuthar dams due to unpredictable rainfall in catchment areas. The Papanasam Dam currently holds 75 feet of water against a full capacity of 143 feet, while the Manimuthar Dam stands at 73 feet against 118 feet.

Despite this, the department is releasing 350 cusecs of water in the Kannadiyan Channel—the highest among the basin's channels, compared to 108 cusecs in Palayam, 104 in Kodagan, 80 in Tirunelveli, and 69 in Nadhiyunni as of July 13. A senior official stated that increased releases depend on active monsoon replenishing the reservoirs, adding, 'If the storage level goes up fast following active monsoon, nothing will prevent us from stepping up discharge in all irrigation channels, including Kannadiyan Channel.'

Separately, a petition was submitted condemning a proposed ₹59-crore park on the bank of the Tamirabharani river, arguing it would pollute the perennial river. Another petition, from ward 4 member of Thaazhaiyooththu town panchayat L. Esakki Rani, opposed the digging of a drainage channel in Jakkammal Temple area, alleging it was intended to drain sewage where Scheduled Caste communities predominantly reside. The Collector has been requested to intervene.