TN CM announces Rs 134.83 crore Kuruvai package for paddy farmers

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday announced a Rs 134.83 crore Kuruvai special package for paddy growers to mitigate the impact of the delayed southwest monsoon, which has deferred the customary opening of the Mettur dam on June 12 for irrigation.

The package covers the Cauvery delta districts-Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam-as well as non-Cauvery delta districts, to help farmers raise the Kuruvai, a short-duration paddy crop sown in June and harvested in September. It would also help farmers raise the 120-day crop during the Kar and Sornavari seasons, which begin in April and May, respectively. Normally, the Mettur reservoir is opened on June 12 every year to facilitate agricultural operations. However, with the weather office forecasting below-normal rainfall due to the El Nino phenomenon, the southwest monsoon has been severely delayed.

“The water level in the Mettur dam currently stands at 79.56 feet, and as a result, there is no possibility of opening the sluice gates today,” a government release said. While the delayed water release has restricted the standard cultivation of five lakh acres in the Cauvery delta.