Copyright © 2021. The delta regions in Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Nagapattinam. But even the available water remains extremely contaminated causing irreparable damage to both soil and agriculture. Cauvery delta region News and Updates from The Economictimes.com. With the union government having initiated a massive hydrocarbon extraction project in the delta region, unmindful of the environmental and livelihood concerns, farmers are turning hopeless of a better tomorrow. Meanwhile, the federation of farmers’ associations in the delta has extended its support to the DMK-led opposition alliance in which Congress and left parties are partners. Communities in the Cauvery delta are vulnerable to a number of water resources development issues that impact livelihoods, agricultural productivity, and food security. Periodic storm surges in the delta are also contributing to the frightening situation. Further south, the industrial town of Salem discharges about 35 MLD of untreated sewage into the Kaveri through the Thirumanimuthar rivulet. The deltaic stage begins in the middle course. Benchmarks . The Cauvery delta region, spread over about 28 lakh acres produced 33 lakh metric tonnes of food grains and farmers were continuing their work despite natural calamities like the deluge witnessed in 2017 and 2018, he noted. The water resources are receding and our once celebrated delta region is shrinking.”. 17.75 % Invest Now. On another level, the grim situation has started affecting the livelihood resources of the thousands of farmers and farm workers,” said farmers’ leader Mannargudi S Ranganathan, who exhorts for movement to save the delta. River Bhavani, a major tributary of the Kaveri joins it in Erode. Chemical factories located in the close vicinity of the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur have been identified as major polluters of the river. FEATURED FUNDS ★★★ ★★ ICICI Prudential Bluechip Fund Direct-Growth. Subscribe now to get this month's one liner for FREE. Mass fish mortality is reported from the delta region regularly. Dams located in Kaveri and its feeders are reducing sediment flow to the delta, which otherwise helps maintain the critical elevation level from the sea. The Grand Anaicut, called as Kallanai was built across the river Cauvery. If the statement by National South-India River Linking Agriculturalists Association leader P. Ayyakannu is anything to go by, the firebrand farmers’ leader from Kaveri delta region will contest in Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking public mandate for the second consecutive time. According to Janakarajan, the delta region witnessed a 13-fold increase in wastelands since 1971. While paddy cultivation is facing troubles, crops such as cotton, pulses, sugarcane, banana and vegetables are making significant inroads into the delta region. In view of the proximity to the coastline, there was also the scope of seawater intrusion and such factors too made it pertinent to protect the region, he said. “The subject of decades-long use and abuse by both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the river is in its deathbed,” lamented Swamimalai R Vimalnathan, general secretary of the Thanjavur District Kaveri Farmers’ Protection Association. It also accounts for a large part of the production of foodgrain and other agricultural produce in the state. • The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a bill declaring the Cauvery Delta Region a Protected Special Agriculture Zone. “You may feel happy about the increase of mangrove cover. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved. Earlier this month, Palaniswami had promised a special law to put into effect his announcement that the Cauvery Delta region will be converted into a Protected Special … In … Mongabay-India is an environmental science and conservation news service. India at UNSC expresses serious concern over security situation in Sahel and Lake Chad region in West Africa, Why seaweeds need to be conserved urgently. Nifty 13,601.10 134.8. Banner image: The view of river Kaveri near Trichy. The Cauvery Delta region is considered to be the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Cauvery Delta region. Photo by P Jeganathan / Wikimedia Commons. As the region accounting for 30 percent of the food grain production in Tamil Nadu, it is imperative that the crisis engulfing the region is resolved sooner rather than later,” says Dhanapalan. Government and scientific experts are bound to formulate and implement solutions. Some others who took part in the Kisan Mukti march were seen carrying skulls of farmers from the delta, who committed suicide due to indebtedness. This accounts for up to 30 per cent of the total area of Tamil Nadu. Key highlights: • The bill, moved by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy, provides for banning certain new industries in the region. Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is an Indian river flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The resolutions have been passed even as the Centre resolved recently to exempt oil and gas firms looking to carry out exploratory drilling from getting environmental clearance. “The delta districts contribute a substantial portion of Tamil Nadu’s foodgrain requirement and any threat to the cropping pattern would destabilise the food security. Available data indicate that the mangrove cover has gone up nearly 14 times since 1971,” said Vimalnathan. Downstream of Kallanai, the Kaveri river, among the most important rivers of south India, gives a poignant picture of large-scale encroachments and indiscriminate sand mining. In the downstream region, tens of small- and medium-scale chemical industries continue to discharge their effluents through natural drains and engineered canals into the Kaveri. Despite being one of the oldest water-regulator structures in the world that is still functional, the Kallanai dam or the Grand Anicut looks almost empty with not much water to regulate. Maize (Zea mays; Poaceae) is an important stable food (17%) and fodder crop (61%) next to rice and wheat. According to Janakarajan, 72 percent of the low-lying land in Tamil Nadu falls under the delta region along the coast. It brings with it effluents from dyeing industries, leather tanneries and pulp and paper mills – large scale water-users and heavier polluters. To substantiate his claim, Vimal Nathan quoted findings of a study by S Janakarajan, a retired faculty member with the Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS). The survival concerns are turning more intense than ever before,” said Dhanapalan. Photo by KA Shaji. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a bill declaring the Cauvery Delta Region a Protected Special Agriculture Zone (PSAZ). “It’s no more a dynamic life-giving system that created and promoted civilisations. 5Y Return. … In the Cauvery Delta rice is the principal crop; ± it is either single or double-cropped. Over 20 years, a fall in the availability of water brought it down to two crops. According to Ayyakannu, 110 other farmers from the drought-hit delta region will also contest against the Prime Minister in Varanasi, stressing the need for governmental support to make farming activities profitable. During this election season the farmers of Kaveri delta are making another attempt to reach their issues to the national leaders. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Sunday said that eight Cauvery delta districts of Tamil Nadu including the rice bowl, Thanjavur, will be categorised as a special protected agricultural zone and assured that permission will not be given for hydrocarbon projects. This article has been republished under the Creative Commons licence. The Delta region covers Central Tamil Nadu and East-Central Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur(TN): All villages in the Cauvery delta region in Tamil Nadu passed resolutions opposing the Hydrocarbon exploration project at Grama Sabha meetings held on Sunday, revenue officials said. Kaveri delta: Shrinking area and decreasing farm productivity hit south India's agricultural backbone. The plant has permission to draw 184 million litres per day (MLD) of river water. Along with the imminent death of the river, Vimalnathan is pointing out another worrying factor that is threatening the very existence of this traditional ‘granary’ of Tamil Nadu. Cauvery Delta zone has a total geographical ± land area of 1.45 million Ha which is equivalent 11% of the area of Tamil Nadu state. In the tail-end areas of the delta, paddy cultivation has turned into a gamble because of salinity, flooding and scarcity of water. It lies between 75°27’ to 79°54’ east longitudes and 10°9’ to 13°30’ north latitudes. However, the area shrunk to … “In order to retain the identity of the Cauvery Delta as the granary, the officials should chalk out their plans in such a manner that paddy … In the past couple of years, farmers from the Kaveri delta have been trying desperately to bring their issues into national attention. It is bounded by the … Kuruvai (short-term crop) is cultivated in more than 5 lakh acres in the Cauvery Delta region, benefitting 15 lakh farmers. The number of farmers who keep their paddy fields fallow due to lack of water is increasing. This article was originally published on Mongabay.com. Credit: Water Resources Information System of India. Lower course: After Kallanai the river breaks into a large number of distributaries and forms a network all over the delta. 12.44 % Invest Now. According to him, the delta region is shrinking fast with cultivable lands increasingly deteriorating into wastelands. Sediment flow to the Kaveri delta has been practically nil of late, as per a 2015 report by the Central Water Commission. Janakarajan confirms that the delta lost 80 percent in sediment deposit over the last century. Opposition against nod for hydrocarbon exploration. Due to seawater ingress, the coastal portion of the delta region is witnessing a substantial rise in shrimp farming, which is detrimental to agricultural practice. But it reflects a grave reality. Question 3. By 2004, this was reduced to 1,994.2 MCM. A water-guzzling coal-fired thermal power plant at Mettur is also contributing to the present sorry state of affairs in Kaveri. A third crop rise is also grown during summer in some parts. Now, no water flows into the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar, the celebrated coastal town where the river meets the sea. River Cauvery merges into Bay of Bengal to the South of Cuddalore. FEATURED FUNDS ★★★★★ Mirae Asset Emerging Bluechip Fund Direct-Growth. Located near Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, it was built across river Kaveri around 2,000 years ago by then king Karikala Chola to divert water to the delta region to boost irrigation and also to avoid loss of crops to floods. The once-prosperous agricultural region is witnessing large-scale reduction in crop cover in recent years mainly due to lack of proper irrigation. It also accounts for a large part of the production of foodgrain and other agricultural produce in the state. In Trichy, they organised a march by holding dead rats in their mouths. In the past four decades, the state’s dependence on Cauvery delta for food has fallen from 65% to 40%. Cauvery delta region will become desert, says DMK. Otherwise, we would contest and highlight the crisis being faced by the farmers of delta region at the national level,” he told Mongabay-India. The Cauvery Delta region is considered to be the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Supported by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the study had focused on change in land use patterns of the delta region in the last four decades. If declared so, farmers hope that would overrule the chances of large-scale carbon extraction from the delta region as desired by the union government for the last decade. CAUVERY DELTA REGION Feb. 22, 2020. The river generates a number of tributaries, which include the … An area of about 7500 km 2 covering Cauvery delta has been studied from airphotos (1:60,000), Landsats (1:250,000) and survey of India topographic sheets (1:50,000) with a view to delineate various landforms, soils, land use, hydromorphic units, drainage, and flood intensity of the delta. The Kaveri Water Disputes Tribunal and the governments in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are considering the river as a mere water channel. Like in the case of all other rivers, Kaveri also requires enhanced supply and it can be achieved by preventing pollution. The river’s catchments, banks and riverbeds have to be conserved and restored. The catchment area of Cauvery River has been calculated at 72,000 km2 or 27,700 square miles. Interestingly, there is a considerable increase of mangrove cover in the region. NSE Gainer-Large Cap . • Infrastructure development projects like port development, laying of pipelines, road, telecommunication lines, power and water supply facilities will not be banned, as made clear in the bill. Cauvery dispute: TN farmers in delta area risk losing harvest again The Supreme Court is yet to pronounce its verdict in the Cauvery river water sharing … In the tail-end areas of the delta, paddy cultivation has turned into a gamble because of salinity, flooding and scarcity of water. I am a farmer, I will not let any project that … 1.6.2 Drainage Area 42 1.6.3 Population 46 1.6.4 Tributaries of Cauvery 47 1.6.5 Unique Feature of Cauvery 47 1.6.6 Upper Anicut 47 1.6.7 Grand Anicut 48 1.6.8 The delta 48 1.6.9 Tailend Regulator 48 1.6.10 Rainfall 49 1.6.11 Soils 51 1.6.12 Development of Irrigation 52 . Tamil Nadu is blessed with 416 km of the 800 km long Kaveri and most parts of the river are running through the delta region. However, the bill also says any ongoing projects would not be disturbed. • The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a bill declaring the Cauvery Delta Region a Protected Special Agriculture Zone. The worsening economic vulnerability of the delta farmer itself is a clear indication of the sorry state of affairs. The 2016-17 agricultural year was the first time in a century that the farmers of this once water-abundant region could not plant and harvest even … Mangrove cover is increasing due to seawater ingress in the coastal areas. Built in 1934, the dam used to have a storage capacity of 2,708.8 million cubic metres (MCM). The delta's population of around 4.8 million heavily relies on farming and fishing. Now the land in this region is at greater risk of submergence as a result of rising sea levels due to climate change. About: Projects banned: The bill provides for banning certain new industries in the region. Mains level: Key features about the region. “Now our agriculture is at the mercy of monsoon. The study titled Combating Climate Change: Vulnerability of Cauvery Delta, Wet Lands, Food Security and Livelihood Resilience, funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, said the built-up area (areas in the delta where construction has taken place) in Thanjavur, the largest agricultural delta district, has increased from 381 sq km in 1971 to 535 sq km in 2014. “In the future, we will not have the once perennial river to fight over. In March 2018, farmers from the delta had rolled on to the scorching streets of Delhi with partly shaven heads and mustaches, seeking steps to resolve their grievances. Earlier this month, Palaniswami had promised a special law to put into effect his announcement that the Cauvery Delta region will be converted into a Protected Special … Calling the Cauvery delta “Tamil Nadu’s rice bowl” and declaring the districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvaur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Karur and Trichy as part of the protected zone, CM Palaniswami also said, “Let me state that my government will never give consent for projects like hydrocarbon in these areas. Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta districts, where Cyclone Gaja swirled through, are picking up the pieces S. Ganesan November 24, 2018 20:12 IST Updated: November 24, … The Cauvery delta region, spread over about 28 lakh acres produced 33 lakh metric tonnes of food grains and farmers were continuing their work despite natural calamities like the deluge … Groundwater in Cauvery delta … To study the seasonal variations and spatial distributions of fall armywo The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu district of the state of Karnataka, at an elevation of 1,341 m above mean sea level and flows for about 800 km before its outfall into the Bay of Bengal. • The bill, moved by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy, provides for banning certain new industries in the region. “We need to build resilience in the face of complete destruction. In most of the coastal portions of delta region, land is located at an elevation of merely a metre from the sea. The support is based on the assurance from the alliance that it would declare the entire Kaveri delta region as a protected agricultural zone, a long pending demand of farmers. This in a once-fertile Cauvery delta, which until two decades ago was a three-crop region. Because of plentiful rainfall during North-± East monsoon and good irrigation facilities rice … The delta is composed of mainly ancient channels, delta p ains, fossil islands, levees, beach … Photo by Ricardo Martins / Wikimedia Commons. Cuddalore Ariyalur, Tiruchirapalli and Karur would be converted into Protected Special Agriculture Zone The farmers and others have been demanding a protected zone for the Cauvery delta region for decades. … They include hydrocarbon exploration, smeltering of copper, zinc and aluminium, iron ore processing, … The demand to designate the Cauvery delta as a PSAZ was in the nascent stage in 2011-12 when a public hearing for the Coal Bed Methane (CBM) project was held in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur. He also cited climate change as a contributing factor. • They include hydrocarbon exploration, smeltering of copper, zinc and aluminium, iron ore processing, tanneries and ship breaking. “If the Prime Minister assures steps to solve the prevailing agrarian crisis before the elections, we all would withdraw from the contest. The irrigated area is approximately 640,000 ha of which 564,000 ha is in the Cauvery delta. 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