Water was released from the Grand Anicut, popularly known as Kallanai, today for samba cultivation in the Delta districts. It has now been programmed to take up samba and thaaladi paddy cultivation in about 9.66 lakh acres in the Delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

State Food and Civil Supplies Minister R. Kamaraj pressed the button to open the sluice gates in the presence of Agriculture Minister R. Duraikannu, Handlooms and Textiles Minister O.S. Manian, Tourism Minister Vellamandi N. Natarajan and Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Minister S. Valarmathi and District Collectors A. Annadurai (Thanjavur,), L. Nirmalraj (Tiruvarur), S Palanisamy (Nagapattinam) and Dr K.S. Palanisamy (Tiruchi).

The entire area wore a festive look with the sluices illuminated with serial lights. The ryots accorded the Ministers and other dignitaries a warm welcome and took them to the venue with the traditional drum beats and ‘poorna kumbham’.

The ryots sprinkled paddy seeds, grains and flower petals on the sheet of water. They also performed special poojas and offered prayers at the Anjaneyar, Mother Cauvery, Karuppanasamy and Vinayaka temples located in the vicinity.

PWD chief engineer (in-charge) Murugesan, superintending engineers Geetha Sankar and Senthilkumar, joint directors of agriculture Krishnakumar (Thanjavur), Mayilvaganan (Tiruvarur) and Chandrasekaran (Nagapattinam) and representatives of various farmers’ associations were present.

According to a release from PWD , at present 3,600 cusecs each would be let into the Cauvery and Vennar while 1,000 cusecs will be let into GA Canal and 800 cusecs would be let into Kollidam. The quantity of discharge of water from Mettur reservoir would be determined later based on the need and rainfall in the Cauvery delta region. The release also appealed to the farmers to use the water judiciously and ensure a bumper yield.

It has been programmed to take up samba and thaaladi crops in 3,30,000 acres in Thanjavur district, in 3,00,440 acres in Tiruvarur district and in 3.36,250 acres in Nagapattinam district, sources in agriculture department said.

The officials also claimed that adequate stocks of seeds and fertilizers required for samba and thaaladi cultivation have now been kept available at cooperative depots.