MADURAI
A group of farmers from the double crop regions of Periyar irrigation system in Dindigul and Madurai petitioned Madurai Collector’s office on Monday demanding release of water from Vaigai dam to save the samba paddy crop.
S. Rajendran from Colonel John Pennycuick Vaigai Farmers’ Association said that a total of 1,793 acre of land is under paddy cultivation in Peranai, Vilampatti, Mattaparai, Ramarajapuram and nearby areas in Dindigul district.
“There is no other source of water for these areas except for water from Periyar irrigation system. We are at the risk of losing the crop if we do not get water for another wetting,” he said.
G. Murugan, a farmer from Mannadimangalam here, who is part of the Periyar Irrigation Planning Committee, said the cultivation began in most of these areas after a delay of around two weeks due to uncertainty over the availability of water for the second crop.
“Farmers were initially hesitant. Later, with the release of water, they began cultivation. They are now on the verge of incurring a huge loss,” he added.
He blamed the Public Works Department (PWD) for ensuring water supply to the single crop regions for more than 120 days, but denying the same for farmers from double crop regions for their second crop.
M. Tirupathi, a farmer from Kulamangalam here, said the PWD must have managed the storage in the dam better when there was a huge inflow from Periyar dam and Vaigai’s own catchment areas.
“I agree that there is no rain now. But did they manage the storage properly when there were rains,” he asked.
Refuting the allegations of the farmers, PWD officials said they had done their best to ensure irrigation to areas under cultivation with the available water.
“In many places, farmers unnecessarily delayed sowing, because of which they are facing the problem now,” an official said, adding that there was no water to release for the farmers now.
