Twenty-five days after the Mettur dam opened its sluices, a large stretch of the Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu remains parched, with many irrigation canals still dry and farmers across Thanjavur and neighbouring districts holding back on samba paddy cultivation. The delay has intensified fears that a late-season crop will be left exposed to destructive rainfall during the approaching northeast monsoon.

Why Canals Are Running Dry

The dam at Mettur was opened on 1 September 2024 — nearly 81 days later than the customary date of 12 June — owing to inadequate storage. Releases through the Grand Anicut began on 6 September, feeding the Cauvery, Vennar, Grand Anicut Canal, and Kollidam river systems.

However, the volumes flowing through these channels fall well short of their designed capacities. The Cauvery is currently receiving 4,901 cusecs against a carrying capacity of 10,691 cusecs. The Vennar is receiving 1,408 cusecs against a capacity of 9,370 cusecs, while the Grand Anicut Canal carries 1,500 cusecs against a capacity of 3,380 cusecs. Smaller tributary channels fed by these waterways have consequently received little to no water, leaving tail-end fields completely unserved.

Farmers at the Tail End Bear the Brunt

P. Chinnadurai, president of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said the current release of approximately 12,000 cusecs from Mettur is insufficient to push water through to the farthest reaches of the delta network. He called on the state government to secure a release of at least 22,000 cusecs to ensure equitable distribution.

Even in head-reach canals where water has arrived, flows are reportedly too shallow and slow to enter adjoining fields. Farmers who depend solely on river irrigation are therefore waiting, while those with access to deep borewells have managed to begin transplanting — widening the gap between irrigated and rain-fed cultivators.

Scale of the Cultivation Shortfall

The figures paint a stark picture. Against a district target of 3.12 lakh acres under samba and thaladi paddy, cultivation has commenced on just 20,384 acres so far. Chinnadurai estimated that as many as 90 per cent of farmers could be forced into a late start, with many now planning to sow or transplant only after the northeast monsoon sets in during the Tamil month of Aippasi, which begins in October.

This is not an isolated concern — the region has faced recurring late-release years tied to upstream storage disputes between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The southwest monsoon has also delivered below-expectation rainfall this season, compounding the shortfall.

Risks Ahead and Farmer Demands

A delayed samba crop faces heightened vulnerability to intense rainfall during the northeast monsoon, which historically brings heavy precipitation to the delta between October and December. Farmers have urged the Tamil Nadu government to press Karnataka to release the state's entitled share of Cauvery water and ensure adequate supply throughout the cultivation season.

With the critical transplanting window narrowing by the day, the next few weeks will determine whether the delta's samba harvest remains viable or faces a widespread setback.