What happened: weak monsoon and uncertainty in Cauvery irrigation deliveries

Farmers across the Cauvery basin and the Cauvery delta face severe uncertainty because the monsoon is weak and canal releases are not predictable. Karnataka’s reservoir-dependent canal supply is constrained by storage pressure and disputed operational decisions, while Tamil Nadu’s delta paddy cultivation is constrained by low storage at the Mettur dam and disagreements around the dam-opening timeline. Crop choices and livelihood planning are affected because irrigation water arrives late or in uncertain patterns.

Karnataka’s Cauvery basin: paddy growers dependent on KRS canal water

Paddy growers in Karnataka’s Cauvery basin who depend on canal water from the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoir are hesitating or waiting. A farmer from Kuntanahalli in Mandya district reports that he will stop paddy if canal water does not arrive soon because he risks losing both crop prospects and money already spent.

Farmers are reported to avoid switching to less water-intensive crops such as ragi, pulses, and oilseeds, even when guidance suggests sowing alternatives because monsoon conditions are expected to be deficient and reservoir inflows are inadequate. KRS is described as showing brief improvement in early August, rising sharply and then stabilising, but tail-end farmers still face uncertainty.

Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta: low Mettur storage and Mettur opening timing disputes

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