Aimed at ensuring substantial yield during the Samba season, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday announced a 14-point charter of measures that included many modern techniques for cultivation and allocated Rs 53.53 crore for the purpose.
She also announced that Mettur dam would be opened for Samba season from September 17.
The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister at the Secretariat on Thursday.
Measures announced included implementing ‘social nurseries’ as a pilot project, adopting direct sowing method for reducing the duration of Samba crop, bringing 384 villages in delta districts under rice intensification system, providing micro-nutrient fertilisers and creating awareness on modern techniques of farming.
Karnataka government’s failure to release Cauvery water had severely affected Kuruvai crop in the delta districts.
The water level in Mettur Dam stood at 38.813 tmcft. However, due to supply of three-phase power for 12 hours a day, Kuruvai cultivation could be taken up in 1.60 lakh acres, Jayalalithaa said in a statement.
Considering that the northeast monsoon would start in the third week of October and water should be released through the Samba season for sustaining the crop, Mettur Dam would be opened on September 17.
According to the interim order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, as on August 23 last, Mettur Dam should have released 95.480 tmctft of water against which, only 9.187 tmcft was released so far.
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