ERODE: As ordered by the state govt, water resources department officials on Tuesday started releasing water from the Kalingarayan dam in Bhavani in Erode district. The govt ordered a special 15-day release of water from the dam from Tuesday till July 28 to save standing crops and meet the drinking water requirements of livestock in the Kalingarayan canal irrigation zones. Erode West MLA Anand Mohan and Modakkurichi MLA Shanmugan, alongside farmers and water resources department officials, opened the sluices of the dam. Conventionally, water is released into the Kalingarayan canal on June 16 every year for irrigation. However, the release was delayed this year due to inadequate water storage in the Bhavanisagar dam, from where Kalingarayan dam gets water. The water scarcity severely impacted standing crops, including sugarcane and banana plantations. In response to the farmers’ urgent appeals for “life-saving water” (uyir thanneer), the govt sanctioned the temporary 15-day supply. “Our crops were on the verge of completely withering away this season,” said V Sekar, a local farmer. “This 15-day supply is a literal lifesaver for our investments, especially for the water-intensive banana and sugarcane fields.” said D K Damodaran, another farmer. “While we hope for better inflows into the Bhavanisagar dam soon for a full cultivation cycle, this immediate release will prevent a massive livelihood crisis for thousands of farming families in the region and provide much-needed drinking water for our cattle,” he added. During the 15-day period, a total volume not exceeding 648 million cubic feet (mcft) of water will be discharged. The actual release will be regulated dynamically based on the dam’s existing storage levels and inflows. This water supply is expected to provide a lifeline to standing crops on 15,743 acres of agricultural land.
