Farmers seek release of water from Sathanur dam in Tiruvannamalai on January 14 for irrigation

Farmers from Tiruvannamalai, Kallakuruchi and Villupuram districts connected Wednesday requested the territory medication to merchandise h2o from the Sathanur dam successful Tiruvannamalai connected January 14, a time earlier Pongal festival, to commence the archetypal play of cultivation for 2026.

At the consultative gathering that was chaired by Collector K. Tharpagaraj astatine the Collectorate here, farmers said that merchandise of h2o from the dam earlier the festival volition assistance them cultivate paddy earlier summertime play commences. “Apart from being an auspicious juncture (Pongal festival), aboriginal merchandise of h2o volition besides assistance america to harvest earlier harsh upwind sets successful during April - May. Also, the portion has witnessed shortage rainfall during this monsoon. As a result, merchandise of h2o volition assistance farmers successful these districts,” said B. Vembu, a farmer.

Apart from astir 80 farmers from these districts, different stakeholders successful the gathering including officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD), which maintains the facility, PWD, Department of Agriculture, gross and constabulary besides participated. “According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) predictions, the portion could witnesser rains connected January 10-11. If that happens, merchandise of h2o would beryllium post-Pongal festival arsenic capable h2o volition beryllium disposable for farmers to statesman cultivation owed to rains,” K. Santhosh, Assistant Engineer (AE), WRD (Sathanur Dam), told The Hindu.

WRD officials said that astatine present, the dam has h2o to its afloat retention capableness of 119 feet. In different words, the dam has a full of 7,321 mcft of water. Of this, 35 mcft of h2o volition beryllium kept for drinking purposes for villages successful the district. Also, 1,200 mcft of h2o volition beryllium reserved for farmers on Thirukovilur stream basin (Kallakuruchi and Villupuram districts) to irrigate astir 5,000 acres of farmland. Remaining h2o volition beryllium released for farmers successful Tiruvannamalai territory to cultivate astir 45,000 acres.

Minister for Public Works , E.V. Velu volition unfastened the sluice gates of the dam that is located 8 km distant from the reservoir downstream successful the beingness of Collector K. Tharpagaraj. Like earlier, h2o volition beryllium released for 110 days and distributed to the near and close slope canals from the pick-up dam.

Every day, connected an average, 520 cusecs of h2o volition beryllium released from the dam for farming. In a year, 4 tmc of h2o is stored successful the dam for irrigation. The dam besides helps to store h2o successful 88 tanks on the way successful these districts.

While h2o from the dam’s Left Bank Canal feeds 30 tanks successful Tiruvannamalai and 10 successful Villupuram, the Right Bank Canal is connected to 48 tanks successful Villupuram.