Farmers in Tiruchy district, Tamil Nadu, have urged the state government to release Cauvery water into all 17 irrigation canals, warning that samba paddy nurseries could dry up unless supplies are sustained across the network. The demand comes after water released from Mettur Dam on 1 September reached Karaikal on Sunday, 21 September, but has yet to arrive at several fields in the district.

Water Gap Threatens Transplanting Season

Farmers said they had raised nurseries anticipating a steady flow through the canal network, but the staggered and uneven distribution has left many growers uncertain about whether they can transplant their crop this season. In Thirupparaithurai, farmers reported that water had not reached the Puthu Ayyan Canal — which serves their land — despite the Cauvery release beginning nearly three weeks ago.

According to Water Resources Department data recorded on Tuesday evening, the Mettur reservoir stood at 84.16 feet, with a storage of 46.228 thousand million cubic feet. Inflow was recorded at 3,867 cusecs, while discharge stood at 12,000 cusecs — a gap that has deepened anxiety among farmers about how long irrigation supplies can hold.

Farmers Fear Supplies Will Last Only 25 More Days

Growers warned that at current outflow levels, canal supplies may last only another 25 days, and have pressed the government to outline a contingency plan if flows decline before the crop cycle is secured. Last year, samba paddy was cultivated across 54,929 hectares in Tiruchy district. Farmers pointed out that the Agriculture Department has not yet announced a cultivation target for the current season, making planting decisions harder.

Adding to the distress, some farmers said power outages were preventing them from running electric pumps to water their nurseries. They requested a fuel subsidy to allow diesel pump sets to serve as a stopgap measure.

Farmer Bodies Seek State Intervention and Supreme Court Order Compliance

P.R. Pandian, president of the Tamil Nadu All Farmers Association Coordination Committee, urged the state government to approach the Cauvery Water Management Authority to secure Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water as mandated under the Supreme Court order. He said the current situation demanded more than administrative assurances — it required formal intervention at the inter-state level.

Officials Cite Staggered Distribution, Expect Supplies to Reach Farms by Wednesday

Water Resources Department officials said supplies had already been released into certain canals, including the Uyyakondan Canal, and were expected to reach fields by Wednesday. Canal releases reportedly began on 7 September, a day after water was released from Kallanai for delta cultivation. Officials acknowledged that the staggered distribution model could take another one or two days to fully reach farms across the district.

With the samba season at a critical juncture and the inflow-discharge gap at Mettur widening, the coming week will be decisive for Tiruchy's paddy farmers.