Water released from Grand Anicut for irrigation in delta region

The shutters of Grand Anicut were lifted on Friday to release water for irrigation in the rivers that flow through the Cauvery delta and neighbouring districts — Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Pudukottai, Ariyalur and Cuddalore — during the current year, commencing with the ‘kuruvai’ paddy season.

The shutters of Grand Anicut were lifted on Friday to release water for irrigation in the rivers that flow through the Cauvery delta and neighbouring districts — Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Pudukottai, Ariyalur and Cuddalore — during the current year, commencing with the ‘kuruvai’ paddy season.

Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru, Thanjavur MP S.S. Palanimanickam, Mayiladuthurai MP S. Ramalingam and Rajya Sabha Member S. Kalyanasundaram and the Collectors of the delta and neighbouring districts participated in the function organised by the Water Resources Department to mark the release of water.

Special pujas were performed at Sri Vinayakar Temple and Sri Anjaneyar Temple located adjacent to the anicut before the buttons were pressed for releasing the water into the Cauvery first, followed by the Vennar, the Grand Anicut Canal and finally into the Coleroon.

Later addressing the media, Mr. Nehru said 3.42 lakh acres of agricultural lands — 1.08 lakh acres in Thanjavur district, 22,805 acres in Nagapattinam, 92,214 acres in Tiruvarur, 93,750 acres in Mayiladuthurai and 24,976 acres in Cuddalore — would be fed by the water.

To begin with, 500 cusecs of water would be released into Cauvery, Vennar and Coleroon rivers and 100 cusecs into the Grand Anicut Canal, and the quantum of release would be increased or decreased depending on the quantum of water to be realised at Mettur dam by way of water to be released by Karnataka into the Cauvery and the expected realisation of rainwater in the forthcoming monsoons, he added.

Expressing hope that nature would not let down the State, Mr. Nehru said the distribution of water for irrigation would be carried out based on the water availability at Mettur.

When the Minister was about to leave the Grand Anicut complex, a group of farmers from Karaikal made an appeal to him to ensure that water for irrigation to be released for the Union Territory area was not released on a turn system basis.