Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Friday (June 12, 2026) announced a Kuruvai Special Package for paddy cultivation in the Cauvery delta districts and other areas of the State at a cost of ₹134.83 crore.

According to an official release, paddy is cultivated in 52.72 lakh acres across the State. In the Cauvery delta region comprising Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai districts, and certain parts of Cuddalore, Tiruchi, and Ariyalur districts, paddy is cultivated annually on 20.65 lakh acres, of which an average of 5.14 lakh acres is cultivated during the Kuruvai season.

TVK-led government failed to secure Cauvery water for kuruvai cultivation: Edappadi Palaniswami

In other districts, paddy cultivation is undertaken annually on 32.07 lakh acres, of which an average of 5.48 lakh acres is cultivated during the Kar, Kuruvai, and Sornavari seasons. Usually, the Mettur dam is opened on the customary date of June 12 every year to facilitate Kuruvai paddy cultivation in the delta districts.

Rainfall deficit

However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that rainfall during the Southwest monsoon season may be below normal due to the El Nino effect. As the Southwest monsoon has been delayed, inflow into the Mettur dam has remained low. At present, the water level in the dam stands at only 79.56 feet (with a storage of 41.52 tmc ft), and there is no possibility of opening the dam on June 12, the release said.

As a result, there is little possibility of cultivating paddy on the usual 5 lakh acres in the Cauvery delta districts. However, since cultivation can still be carried out on up to 3.55 lakh acres through filter points in these areas, and as farmers in other districts are facing irregular rainfall conditions, the Chief Minister has announced the implementation of the Kuruvai Special Package for 2026 to protect farmers’ livelihoods and encourage paddy cultivation, the release said.

A total of ₹77.5 crore has been allocated for delta areas, while ₹57.33 crore has been allocated for other districts. Through this package, mechanisation will be encouraged and water management improved. The scheme will also help raise farmers’ income and strengthen the State’s food security, the release said.

Further, through the Agricultural Engineering Department, desilting works covering 2,325 km of C and D channels in the delta districts have been completed at a cost of ₹10 crore. In addition, desilting works covering 4,971 km of A and B channels are being carried out by the Water Resources Department at a cost of ₹100 crore, of which 97% has been completed so far, the release said.

Further, 10,714 metric tonnes of paddy seeds and 4.02 lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers have been stocked for Kuruvai cultivation. In addition, uninterrupted three-phase power supply will be provided for 18 hours a day, it added.

‘A huge shock’

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday said the State government’s move not to open the Mettur dam for irrigation had caused a “huge shock” to farmers in the Cauvery delta.

In a post on social media, Mr. Palaniswami said farmers had been “forced” to resort to agitations as they had been given only a “pittance” in the form of crop loan waiver. Apart from not opening the dam, the government had come out with a special package of ₹134 crore, which was “yet another disappointing announcement.”

He contended that the duration of power supply to farmers, which was for 24 hours when the AIADMK was in power, had been reduced to 18 hours under the present regime. In view of “undeclared load shedding,” those having farm pumpset connections were not able to operate them. Mr. Palaniswami called upon the government to realise that the release of water from the Mettur dam was a livelihood issue for farmers and ensure that water, when released, reached the tail-end areas of the river system.

Dhinakaran’s call

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran referred to the plight of farmers who were experiencing the impact of “erratic power supply” and raising “legitimate questions” how they could rely on the assurance of 18-hour-long supply.  Pointing out that the Communist Party of India, one of the allies of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), had been supporting the cause of the farmers, he reiterated the demand for a full waiver of crop loans taken by the farmers from cooperative societies.