T.N. government enhances Kuruvai coverage in Cauvery delta to over 5 lakh acres

The government has decided to open the Mettur dam on June 12.  | Photo Credit: E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

With the comfortable storage of the Mettur dam and the forecast of a favourable Southwest Monsoon in the catchment areas of the Cauvery in Karnataka and Kerala, the Tamil Nadu government has set an enhanced target of over 5 lakh acres in the delta for the ongoing Kuruvai cultivation season.

Last year, the achievement was around 3.88 lakh acres, which was about 1.7 lakh acres short of what was covered during 2023-24.  Among the reasons for the reduced coverage in 2024-25 was the delay in the commencement of water release for irrigation from Mettur. As against the scheduled date of June 12, the release began on July 28.

Since the current situation is better, the government has decided to open the dam on June 12.

Cauvery realisation: Pattern of flows since 2018-19*

*The Supreme Court, in February 2018, fixed the annual quantum of water — 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) — to be realised by Tamil Nadu at Biligundulu on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, as per the monthly schedule.

On Friday morning, the water level of Mettur stood at 113.41 ft against its full level of 120 ft. The storage was 83.349 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) against the total capacity of 93.47 tmcft. On the corresponding day last year, the water level and storage were 44.88 ft and 14.739 tmcft, respectively.

“This time, the achievement in Kuruvai coverage can be as high as 5.6 lakh acres,” said an agricultural expert. Going by the average of the immediately preceding five years (2020-21 to 2024-25), the new normal coverage has been set at 4.77 lakh acres as against the traditional coverage of 3.24 lakh acres.

The government has also decided to continue with a special Kuruvai package with an allocation of ₹58 crore for farmers in the delta. The scheme contains the provision of subsidies for mechanised paddy transplantation, certified quality seeds, bio-fertilizers, and micronutrient mixtures.

Cauvery water realisation during 2024-25 (in tmcft)

Cauvery panel to meet

Meanwhile, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) will hold its deliberations on June 10.  As of now, the State’s concern is to ensure that Karnataka complies with the monthly schedule of water release, as decided by the Supreme Court in the February 2018 judgment and by the Cauvery Water Management Authority in June and subsequent months.

The just-concluded water year (June 2024-May 2025) saw the State experiencing yet another year of excess realisation. Since the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict, the State received less than its due of 177.25 tmcft only once (2023-24).

Published - June 08, 2025 12:29 am IST