Groundnut farmers in Karimangalam, Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, have appealed to the district administration and the Water Resources Department (WRD) to divert water from the right canal of the Krishnagiri Reservoir Project (KRP) dam into a chain of irrigation tanks, warning that thousands of hectares of standing crops face total loss due to an acute water shortage. The appeal, made on 19 July, comes as a prolonged dry spell and a weak southwest monsoon have left fields parched at a critical growth stage.

Scale of the Crisis

Groundnut is one of the principal oilseed crops in Dharmapuri district, cultivated across nearly 16,000 hectares. Karimangalam alone accounts for roughly 3,800 hectares under cultivation. Farmers who sowed groundnut in May say the crop has now entered a stage where moisture stress can cause irreversible yield losses, and that immediate irrigation is the only option to salvage the season.

More than half a dozen irrigation tanks in the Karimangalam area have already dried up, according to farmers. Borewells across the region are either failing or yielding only limited quantities of water, with only a few deep wells still functional.

What Farmers Are Saying

R. Ramasamy, a farmer from Karimangalam, said rainfall this monsoon season has been a fraction of the normal, leaving irrigation tanks empty and crops struggling. 'Most of us depended on the seasonal rains after sowing. Since the rains failed, the crop has stopped growing properly. Borewells are also yielding very little water, and only a few deep wells are functioning. If water is not released soon, many farmers may lose the entire crop,' he said.

S. Kannan, another farmer, pointed to the KRP right canal as an immediate solution. 'The right canal passes through this area, and water can be diverted to several lakes, including Dindal and Bandarahalli. Recharging these tanks will not only help the standing groundnut crop but also improve groundwater availability for nearby villages,' he said.

The Irrigation Demand

Farmers are specifically requesting that authorities utilise the water currently being released from the KRP dam to replenish the chain of irrigation tanks that feed Karimangalam's fields. They argue that diverting water through the right canal is technically feasible and could provide relief to hundreds of farming families dependent on groundnut cultivation for their livelihoods.

This comes amid a broader pattern of erratic monsoon behaviour across interior Tamil Nadu, where districts such as Dharmapuri — historically prone to dry spells — are particularly vulnerable when the southwest monsoon underperforms.

Government Response

Officials of the Water Resources Department acknowledged the situation, stating that the matter would be assessed and necessary measures taken. They confirmed that water is currently being released from the KRP dam and assured farmers that irrigation requirements would be factored into canal distribution decisions. No specific timeline for diversion was announced.

With the crop at a critical growth stage, the window for intervention is narrow — and farmers say the next few days will determine whether the season can be salvaged.