With water yet to reach tail-end ayacut areas under the Kalingarayan Canal, farmers have urged the authorities to extend water release to save standing crops.

The canal irrigates 15,743 acres across Erode, Modakkurichi and Kodumudi taluks. Water was released for 120 days from November 10, 2025, to March 9, 2026. Following representations, the supply was extended by 22 days till March 31 and later up to April 10. The discharge has since been stopped.

However, farmers in the tail-end areas said that water had not reached their fields. Three branch canals — Malayampalayam, Avudaiyarparai and Periyavattam — originate from the main canal in Kodumudi taluk. The Periyavattam branch canal, stretching about 2 to 4.5 miles, irrigates nearly 500 acres, benefiting villages such as Avudaiyarparai Pudur, Periyavattam, Vengamedu, Chittapulla Palayam and Chennasamudram.

According to the farmers, turmeric harvest is still under way and crops such as paddy, banana and sugarcane require life-saving irrigation. They had sought extension of water release till April 30, as in previous years. However, the Water Resources Department permitted release only till April 10.

They attributed the shortfall to limited discharge, the spread of water hyacinth, and low pressure, which prevented water from reaching the tail-end areas. While a few stretches of the Periyavattam branch canal received minimal flow, most areas have not received water for the past 15 days.

Crops such as turmeric, sugarcane, coconut and banana are withering, they said, urging the authorities to ensure adequate flow to the tail-end areas. They also sought at least a week’s additional release to offset the disruption and save the crops.