Key Points

In a strongly-worded statement, Nagenthran pointed out that although water from the Mettur reservoir was officially released on June 12 to irrigate the Cauvery delta districts, it has still not reached the tail-end areas of Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Tiruvarur.

"The main channels of the river are brimming with water, but the distributaries and minor irrigation channels remain dry. This clearly indicates that water is not being distributed effectively to the lower regions, leaving thousands of farmers in distress," he said.

He blamed the DMK government's "persistent negligence" for the situation, claiming that despite allocating crores of rupees every year, the authorities have failed to desilt river channels and ponds, rendering them incapable of storing and distributing water.

"Every year, funds are sanctioned under the pretext of improving irrigation infrastructure, but no proper desilting work is carried out. The accumulated silt in water bodies has drastically reduced their holding capacity," Nagenthran said, adding that this has directly impacted the farmers who depend on timely water supply for the Kuruvai season.

He further criticised the formation of a separate Water Resources Department by the state government, accusing it of failing to implement any meaningful schemes to improve irrigation.

"It is unfortunate that despite creating a dedicated department, there has been no improvement on the ground. The government has made announcements for farmers but has failed to ensure water supply reaches the last-mile regions," he said.

Calling for urgent intervention, he urged the Tamil Nadu government to act on a war footing to manage water resources effectively and ensure equitable water distribution across all delta regions. He also demanded that an independent audit be conducted to assess how funds allocated for irrigation development have been utilised and urged the state to prioritise desilting and maintenance work in vulnerable regions before further damage is done to standing crops.

- IANS