Mettur Water Crisis Deepens: Dry Canals Force Delta Farmers to Delay Crucial Samba Paddy

Twenty-five days after water was released from the Mettur Dam, vast stretches of canals in Tamil Nadu crucial Cauvery delta remain parched, forcing farmers to delay the critical samba paddy cultivation. This significant delay, coming after the dam's September 1 opening—months behind the usual June 12 schedule—is fueling fears that a late crop could be devastated by heavy rains from the approaching northeast monsoon, imperiling the livelihoods of thousands. The crisis stems from a sharp reduction in water flow from Karnataka, with the state having delivered only 43 TMC against a stipulated 113.33 TMC by September 22, creating a massive 70 TMC shortfall according to directives from the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and Supreme Court. This has left Mettur's storage alarmingly low, capable of sustaining irrigation for just over a month, and is forcing farmers, who already missed the short-duration Kuruvai crop, to gamble on sowing later or rely on costly groundwater alternatives. With only a fraction of the target samba cultivation area currently sown, political pressure is mounting on the Tamil Nadu government to intervene, including moving the Supreme Court to ensure Karnataka releases its due share. Leaders are also demanding significant financial compensation for affected farmers and advisories for alternative cultivation methods like direct sowing, as the region braces for continued water scarcity and the uncertain arrival of the northeast monsoon.