Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: Farmers in Tiruppur district, reliant on water supply from Amaravathi Dam, are finding solace in the current spell of rainfall from the northeast monsoon, which they believe may alleviate water scarcity for their crops, reported The Hindu.
The northeast monsoon has instilled optimism among farmers, who anticipate additional moisture for their crops. In the previous month, a substantial volume of 2,073.60 million cubic feet of water was released through the main canal for 15 days, aimed at safeguarding crops spanning 25,250 acres in the new ayacut irrigation system. Simultaneously, 1,503.36 million cubic feet of water was released through ten canals from Alangiyam to Karur via the old ayacut, protecting crops cultivated across 21,867 acres of land.
The recent rainfall in catchment areas has contributed to a rise in the water level in the Amaravathi Dam, reaching 75.56 feet (against a maximum capacity of 90 feet), a notable increase from the 68.05 feet recorded a week earlier. The storage capacity has seen a rise to 2,818.09 million cubic feet (against the total capacity of 4,047.41 million cubic feet) from 2,255.55 million cubic feet over the past week.
The Amaravathi main canal, stretching 63.2 km on the left bank of the Amaravathi River, encompasses Udumalpet, Madathukulam, and Dharapuram taluks, catering to the cultivation of single crops like sugarcane, paddy, coconut, maize, groundnut, and other dry crops.
Concerning the Thirumoorthy Dam, the water level on November 15 stood at 42.04 feet, in contrast to the maximum capacity of 60 feet. A month ago, water was released for irrigation covering 94,068 acres in the fourth zone under the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP).
Given the reasonably favorable rainfall in catchment areas, the PAP Vellakovil Branch Water Conservation Association has appealed for the release of water to further nourish standing crops. The association, however, urges the Water Resources Department to ensure the prevention of water theft, raising concerns about mismanagement during the initial release.
