The Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district has been fast filling up over the past few days, and its water level is rising, raising hopes of farmers for the release of water to take up Samba cultivation.
On Friday, the storage at Veeranam tank stood at 927 million cubic feet, which is nearly 63% of its capacity of 1,425 mcft. According to officials in the Public Works Department (PWD), the tank is expected to fill up in the next few days. The tank has been receiving a steady inflow of 1,431 cubic feet per second (cusecs) from the Mettur dam in Salem district.
A senior PWD official said that Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSW) had been drawing 57 cusecs from the tank daily. “Once the water level in the tank reaches its capacity, a decision would be taken on the release of water after holding consultations with farmers’ associations. Farmers have been demanding the release of water for irrigation from Adi Perukku (August 3) and an announcement is expected to be made by the government soon,” the official said.
The Veeranam tank is one of the main drinking water sources for Chennai and irrigates about 45,000 acres of agricultural land in Bhuvanagiri, Kumaratchi, Parangipettai, Keerapalayam and Kattumannarkovil blocks in Cuddalore district. It gets water from the Coleroon River and Vadavar channel.
K.V. Elangeeran, president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Federation pointed out that poor water management had resulted in nearly 2 tmc of water wasted as run-off annually. The PWD should evolve a strategy and release the surplus water into the irrigation canal and channels. This would also recharge the ground water level in these areas, he said.
The district administration should also prevail upon the government to increase the supply of water from Mettur dam to Veeranam. The water supply should be increased from 10 to 15%, he added. The PWD should also expedite the de-silting of the irrigation channels in tail-end areas to improve the storage capacity, he said.
Mr. Elangeeran also demanded the CMWSSB provide royalty or suitable compensation for water tapped from the tank. The royalty could be fixed at the rate of one paise a litre, he suggested.
