Jayalalithaa announces Rs 40.97-crore aid for Cauvery delta farmers

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday announced a financial aid of Rs 41 crore for farmers in the Cauvery delta region to improve the kuruvai cultivation (short-term cultivation).
The ‘kuruvai package’ announced by the government includes financial assistance to farmers and free supply of micro nutrients. Farm machines will be leased out to farmers free of cost.Besides, three phase power would be provided for 12 hours per day for irrigation.
The chief minister also said Mettur dam could not be opened on June 12, the scheduled date of opening for irrigation, as the storage level in the dam was insufficient for Kuruvai season.
Citing the low level of water in Mettur dam, she said, “Usually, the dam is opened on June 12 if the storage level stands at 90 feet against the total capacity of 120 feet. But now, the storage level stands at 72.64 feet and the inflow is 7,058 cusecs.”
“If Karnataka releases 10.16 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water in June in accordance with the Cauvery Water Tribunal order, the storage level would be 79 feet by the end of the month," Jayalalithaa said in a statement.
The statement also said the state received good rain in summer. The state received 241.3mm of rain during the summer season against the average 128mm of rainfall in the season.
"The ground water level had gone up considerably due to good rain. As such, to encourage kuruvai cultivation, a package of assistance to the tune of Rs 40.97 crore will be extended to the farmers,” Jayalalithaa said.