Early SW monsoon brings hope in Nellai

TIRUNELVELI: Farmers in the district, who usually take up Kar paddy cultivation from June every year, are a happy lot, thanks to the South West monsoon, which has begun earlier than usual.The district has been experiencing South West monsoon failure for the last two years, resulting in dwindling water level at Papanasam, Manimuthar and Servalar dams, the lifeline of agricultural activities in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi. In a recently held farmers’ grievance meet, PWD officials opined that water might not be released from Papanasam dam for Kar cultivation if the situation continued.However, as per the orders of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, water was released for from Manimuthar dam on May 27, with the assurance that more water would be released if there was good rainfall during the SW monsoon. Now, with the beginning of monsoon, farmers here feel that the conducive climate changes in the last few weeks could be a harbinger of a good monsoon and Kar paddy cultivation this year. “Due to successive monsoon failures in the past two years, Kar paddy cultivation had been affected,” M Karuppanan, a farmer said, adding, “but since the monsoon has began three days earlier this year, we pray and hope for a good monsoon.”It may be noted that farmers are expecting copious rainfall this year as Papanasam dam, one of the three major dams in the district, which irrigates around 86,000 acres of land in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, has poor water storage level at present. “Only when water is released from Papanasam, Kar paddy cultivation would pick up in full swing,” he said.As on May 16, Papanasam dam had only 36 feet of water against the maximum capacity of 143 feet. According to a PWD official, water from Papanasam dam would be released only if the storage level improves, as they have to maintain the prescribed storage level to meet drinking water supply in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts.The onset of the Southwest monsoon in Tirunelveli district became evident in the last two days with the favourable climatic changes in Courtallam and in few places in Tirunelveli district, where a constant drizzle was witnessed. This has brought cheers to the farming community, which is mostly dependent on the rain.