Erode, July 2: The Water Resources Department (WRD) has refused to release water for irrigation from the Kalingarayan and Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal systems. This decision comes due to critically low water levels in the Lower Bhavani Dam and insufficient inflow from catchment areas.
The department stated that water will only be released for irrigation once inflow stabilizes, as the current water reserves are being conserved for drinking needs.
This decision has raised concerns among farmers who depend on these irrigation systems. Farmer organizations are making various demands regarding the limited water available in the dam.
A farmers’ union under the Kalingarayan canal system has announced that if water is not released for irrigation by July 5, they will commence an indefinite hunger strike starting July 6. Farmers argue that the prolonged suspension of water supply has adversely affected standing crops like bananas and sugarcane, and has hindered preparations for turmeric and onion cultivation.
Typically, water flows from the Lower Bhavani Dam to the Kalingarayan canal from mid-June until the end of April. However, this year, the water supply was halted in March due to renovation work on the canal.
Officials had initially planned to release water by the end of June after completing maintenance work, but this plan has been postponed indefinitely due to the worsening water crisis.
Currently, the situation at the dam remains alarming. The Lower Bhavani Dam, which has a capacity of 32.8 thousand million cubic feet, held only 5.34 thousand million cubic feet of water as of Tuesday. The inflow from the catchment area was merely 81 cusecs due to low rainfall.
Meanwhile, farmers under the Lower Bhavani Project canal system have opposed any move to release water from the Kalingarayan canal. They argue that the existing allocation of Cauvery water and previous government orders must be strictly adhered to. They have warned that if the water flow is altered under the current conditions, they will protest, including blocking roads.
WRD officials have indicated that the current water reserves are only sufficient for drinking needs, and releasing water for irrigation will not be considered until there is a significant increase in inflow.
According to the department, a continuous flow of approximately 5,000 to 6,000 cusecs will be necessary before any water can be released for the Kalingarayan or Lower Bhavani Project canal systems. Officials noted that the repair work on the Kalingarayan canal is nearly complete, allowing for immediate water release once the reservoir situation improves.
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