Trichy: The release of 17,000 cusecs of water from the Grand Anaicut (Kallanai) has brought much relief to farmers in delta districts such as Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Trichy and parts of Cuddalore and Pudukottai who were desperately waiting to take up samba cultivation. The water is expected to help raise paddy crops in around 13.50 lakh acres including three lakh acres for kuruvai cultivation.Earlier, water released from Mettur reservoir in Cauvery reached Mukkombu (Upper Anaicut) on Saturday night and touched the Kallanai dam early on Sunday morning. State ministers R Kamaraj, O S Manian, R Duraikannu, Vellamandi N Natarajan, S Valarmathi released the water by raising the sluices of Grand Anaicut.According to officials from the public works department (PWD) about 17,000 cusecs of water, including 7,000 each in Cauvery and Vennaru, 2,000 in Kollidam and 1,000 in Grand Anaicut canal were released simultaneously during the event.Meanwhile, officials from the agriculture department have appealed to the farmers to use the water judiciously adopting the wet and dry method to harvest maximum yield per acre. As kuruvai cultivation had already commenced and halfway through, the water from Mettur could be used only for samba, officials added.To avert chances of paddy crops getting affected or destroyed in rain or floods, farmers should commence samba cultivation during mid August, joint director of agriculture, K Paulraj said. The department has made available the required medium duration variety paddy seed such as ADT 49 and 50, TKM 13, Co R 50, deputy director of agriculture S Rajeswaran said.“Farmers who had cultivated Andhra Ponni variety paddy incurred loss due to blast disease last year. To avert such losses, we have appealed to the farmers to raise medium duration paddy varieties to harvest maximum yield. Moreover, they should adopt the wet and dry method for god yield,” he added.

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