TN: Dharmapuri groundnut farmers seek KRP canal water as drought threatens crop

Dharmapuri (Tamil Nadu), July 19 (AHN) Groundnut farmers in Karimangalam in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district have appealed to the district administration and the Water Resources Department (WRD) to divert water from the right canal of the Krishnagiri Reservoir Project (KRP) dam to a chain of irrigation tanks, warning that thousands of hectares of standing crops are at risk due to an acute water shortage.

Groundnut is among the major oilseed crops cultivated in Dharmapuri district, covering nearly 16,000 hectares. Karimangalam alone accounts for around 3,800 hectares under cultivation.

However, a prolonged dry spell and poor southwest monsoon rainfall have left farmers struggling to save their crops, with many fields showing signs of severe moisture stress.

According to farmers, rainfall received so far this monsoon has been far below normal, resulting in dried-up lakes, falling groundwater levels and insufficient irrigation.

Many cultivators who sowed groundnut during May say the crop has now entered a critical stage and requires immediate watering to avoid heavy yield losses.

R. Ramasamy, a farmer from Karimangalam, said the region had received only a fraction of its normal southwest monsoon rainfall, leaving irrigation tanks empty.

“Most of us depended on the seasonal rains after sowing. Since the rains failed, the crop has stopped growing properly. Borewells are also yielding very little water, and only a few deep wells are functioning. If water is not released soon, many farmers may lose the entire crop,” he said.

Another farmer, S. Kannan, urged the authorities to utilise the ongoing water release from the KRP dam to replenish irrigation tanks in the region.

“The right canal passes through this area, and water can be diverted to several lakes, including Dindal and Bandarahalli. Recharging these tanks will not only help the standing groundnut crop but also improve groundwater availability for nearby villages,” he said.

Farmers said more than half a dozen irrigation tanks in Karimangalam have already dried up, while several borewells have either failed or are producing only limited quantities of water. They stressed that timely intervention could prevent large-scale crop losses and provide relief to hundreds of farming families dependent on groundnut cultivation.

Officials of the Water Resources Department said the situation would be assessed and necessary measures would be taken. They added that water is currently being released from the KRP dam and assured that the irrigation requirements of farmers would be considered while regulating the distribution through the canal system.