Cauvery water released for irrigation has reached the Melayur regulator near Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai district, bringing relief to farmers while leaving concerns over whether the available quantity will support the full Samba cultivation season.
Water for Samba cultivation was released from the Mettur dam on September 1. It reached the Kallanai regulator, from where it was released into the Cauvery irrigation system on September 6. After travelling through the delta network, the water reached Melayur on Wednesday, about 10 days after it was released from Kallanai, according to a report by Dinamalar.
The Melayur structure is the last regulator across the Cauvery before the river meets the sea near Poompuhar. It is located about 120 kilometres from Mettur and serves as an important tail-end point in the irrigation system. The arrival of water at the regulator indicates that the release has moved through the downstream Cauvery network towards the coastal parts of Mayiladuthurai district.
The structure can hold water up to a level of 7.5 feet. However, only about 2 feet of water had accumulated when the report was published. Farmers in the area told Dinamalar that this level would not be sufficient for the 3,016 acres of land dependent on the irrigation system.
The gap between the structure’s storage capacity and the water currently available is significant for farmers preparing for Samba cultivation. The crop cycle depends not only on water reaching the tail-end regulator, but also on the quantity retained and the duration for which releases continue through the channels. Farmers said that water would need to remain available for 100 days to cultivate the Samba crop.
The report places the immediate concern within the functioning of a long irrigation chain. Water released at Mettur must travel through the Cauvery and its regulators before reaching the final irrigation areas near the coast. At each downstream point, the quantity available depends on the release schedule, channel flows and the needs of areas located earlier in the system. For tail-end farmers, reaching the system is therefore not the same as receiving enough water for cultivation.
Farmers have asked the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to ensure adequate water reaches the area. Their demand is focused on extending or maintaining the supply for the period required to support Samba cultivation across the identified irrigation command.
The next operational question is whether additional water will reach Melayur and whether the level at the regulator will rise beyond the reported 2 feet. The report did not specify a revised release schedule or any government order on additional supply. Farmers are awaiting government action on ensuring sufficient water for the 3,016-acre irrigation area.
