All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha activists taking part in a rally in Khammam on Monday to mark the beginning of AIKMS’s fourth national conference.

Collector Nishant Kumar inspecting a feeder channel as part of ‘Jaladhara’ water conservation works near Madanapalle in Annamayya district on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

(VIDEO GRAB) Women farmers wielded brooms at survey officials’ vehicles during a protest over the proposed Bidadi Township Project on Monday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The hot winds sweeping across the ancient Kallanai, which should be brimming with water by now, are raising temperatures across the Cauvery delta this year. A weak southwest monsoon and the vexed inter-State river water sharing dispute with Karnataka have left farmers in the region in distress yet again.

As the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur could not be opened on the customary date of June 12 owing to insufficient storage, a majority of farmers in the delta, for whom the Cauvery is the lifeline, have not been able to cultivate paddy this kuruvai (kharif) season. With the Super El Nino effect looming large, farmers are worried about the prospects of the forthcoming samba crop too.

Over the past few months, the flow into the Mettur dam from Karnataka has been meagre. Tamil Nadu realised just 2.915 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) in the Cauvery from Karnataka in June, against the 9.19 tmc ft stipulated for the month by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court.

Consequently, after a record coverage in 2025, when kuruvai paddy was raised on over six lakh acres against the normal area of about 4.4 lakh acres, agricultural fields across the delta, irrigated by a network of rivers and canals, are lying fallow. Announcing the kuruvai special package, the State government said the crop could be raised on about 3.55 lakh acres with groundwater. But farmers claim that only 1.5 lakh acres would be covered in the filter point areas in the core delta districts, largely in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur.

The kuruvai cultivation area in Thanjavur has come down to around 89,000 acres this season from around 1,94,000 acres in the previous cultivation year. In Tiruvarur, the coverage area has dwindled to around 64,000 acres from around 1,91,000 acres in 2025-26, say district officials.

A section of farmers who had raised the crop using groundwater is complaining about erratic three-phase power supply. Complaints of withering crops have been reported in a few places in the delta.

Cultivation with groundwater

R. Arivazhagan, a farmer of Olaidevarayanpettai in Thanjavur district, has raised kuruvai paddy on six acres with groundwater. He explains the issues in cultivation with groundwater. Though he has raised the crop, many of his fellow villagers are not able to do so owing to the depletion in the groundwater table as the rivers are dry. “My neighbour is drilling a fresh borewell and the yield from my borewell is going down too. There are disruptions in three-phase power supply owing to voltage drops and other issues. I am not sure whether I will be able to see through my 25-day-old crop over the next three months,” he says.

Several farmers who had taken up summer ploughing in anticipation of water release from the Mettur dam have burnt their fingers. “Many of us had taken up summer ploughing twice by spending at least ₹1,500 an acre each time, expecting water discharge by mid-June. But we could not go in for the kuruvai crop and our lands are lying fallow. Farm labourers have been rendered jobless. The entire rural economy has been badly affected,” says R. Pandidurai, a farmer of Seelathanallur in Tiruvarur.

Farmers demand that the entire State, especially the delta districts, be declared drought-hit so that they can avail themselves of relief, including compensation under the ‘prevented sowing/planting risk’ (due to adverse weather) clause of the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme. “We had kept the fields ready after ploughing, but there was no flow in the Cauvery. Farmers in Nagapattinam district have been hit as we don’t have too many borewells, except in the Thirumarugal area. We hope we will get some compensation under the crop insurance scheme,” says Karunainathan of Vedaranyam.

Mahadhanapuram Rajaram, a veteran farmers’ leader and president of the Cauvery Irrigation Farmers Welfare Association, says, “We estimate that the delta farmers stand to lose about ₹1,125 crore as they have not been able to raise kuruvai crop. It would also trigger fodder shortage in the coming months. If the samba or thaladi crops too were affected by drought or rain at harvest stages, the financial burden on the State would be heavier.”

“We could face a production loss of up to 15 lakh tonnes of paddy this season. More importantly, the loss of the crop could lead to migration of farm labourers as they look for other sources of income,” says Cauvery Dhanapalan, president, Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangankalin Kootuiyakkam.

“The inflow and the storage at Mettur are still not encouraging. We doubt whether the government will manage to get water from Karnataka. The prediction of a weak monsoon due to the El Nino effect has cast a shadow over the samba crop too,” Mr. Pandidurai says. The dam had just 38 tmc ft of water against its capacity of 93.47 tmc ft, and the inflow was hovering at 125 cusecs last week. The dam, which was at its full capacity during the same time last year, needs substantial inflows in the coming weeks for the government to decide on water discharge for the samba season.

P.R. Pandian of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu says the lack of Cauvery water has endangered the livelihood of farmers in the delta this year. “The southwest monsoon has been scanty, and is going to end soon. It has been predicted that the State may get less than normal rainfall during the northeast monsoon too. We may go in for the samba crop with direct sowing, pinning our hopes on the monsoon. But the question is whether we will be able to protect the crop through the season. Unless the monsoon comes to our aid, we have a very precarious situation,” he says. “Only if water is released from the Mettur dam by August can farmers safely raise long-duration varieties during the samba season. If the water release is delayed further, they can only go in for medium or short-term varieties,” says Mr. Dhanapalan.

‘Declare delta as drought-hit’

Mr. Pandian says it is time the government declared the delta ‘drought-hit’ and started rolling out relief measures. “It should provide drought relief as was done by the Jayalalithaa government some years ago. The government should provide ₹15,000 an acre as relief for the kuruvai loss,” he says, adding that the government should also support farmers raising the samba crop using groundwater by providing seeds and diesel at subsidised rates.

Farmers organisations say the kuruvai special package, announced by the government, has not been of much help. “Though the government had said farmers would be given the support for two acres, officials here say we will get it only for one acre each as there have been a number of applications. The application process is cumbersome, and we are required to submit several documents such as bills for machine planting, photos of farmers in the field, besides the land records. We have to spend considerable time and effort in submitting these papers for a meagre financial support,” Mr. Arivazhagan says, calling for simplifying the application process.

“The special package is inadequate to meet the requirements of farmers. Since there has been a large number of applications, the allocation should be increased,” says Swamimalai Vimalnathan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

He wants the government to come up with a special samba package too as farmers who were not able to raise the kuruvai crop will plant samba, pinning their hopes on a good monsoon. He suggests that as a special case, the government provide free farm connections to those who have been waiting for long so that more farmers can take up cultivation using groundwater.

Delta farmers also take a critical view of Food Minister P. Venkataramanan’s reported suggestion that farmers go in for alternative crops in view of the water shortage. “Before making such suggestions, the government should carry out a proper study and identify crops which are suitable for the different soil conditions in the delta region. Such crops should also be able to withstand the monsoon. But there seems to be no plan or effort in this direction,” says Mr. Vimalnathan.

“Karnataka has been releasing only the surplus water and does not agree to the distress-sharing formula. We have not even got half of June’s quota of water and there is no guarantee that Karnataka will release our share in July or August. Tamil Nadu should sanction relief to the farmers and can mobilise funds by claiming compensation from Karnataka for the crop losses,” says V. Jeevakumar, a farmers leader of Budalur.

Running from pillar to post

D. Abraham of Kanarpatti in Tirunelveli district had sold over 7.50 tonnes of paddy to the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India nine months ago. But he is still running from pillar to post to get his payment of ₹1.86 lakh. His family expenses forced him to not only pledge his jewels but also to pay interest for them till date.

The plight of Mr. Abraham, who is the district secretary of the Coordination Committee of Tamil Nadu All Farmers’ Associations, is not unique. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam  government’s announcement on waiver of cooperative crop loans came as a jolt to the farmers who pointed to the gap between what the TVK had promised before the election and what it announced after coming to power.

The TVK manifesto had promised a complete loan waiver for small and marginal farmers who own up to 5 acres of land and a 50% waiver for the others. On May 25 this year, the government announced that only loans of up to ₹50,000 would be waived fully for marginal farmers. For loans exceeding ₹50,000, the waiver ranged between ₹5,000 and ₹40,000.

Effectively, a marginal farmer with a loan of over ₹1 lakh would get only ₹5,000 as relief. It was worse for small farmers as only 50% of loans up to ₹50,000 were waived. For the rest, the waiver ranged from ₹5,000 to ₹20,000. This triggered massive protests by farmers across the State.

‘Let down by the TVK government’

“While the poll promise of the TVK spoke only about total loan waiver for all farmers based on their land holdings, the government introduced ceilings. Farmers had voted for the TVK based on its promises, but we feel let down,” says R. Rampandian, of Aruppukottai, a functionary of Southern District Farmers’ Association.

The government blamed the Reserve Bank of India’s Model Operating Procedure, which mandates that States implementing loan waivers must settle the entire amount to co-operative banks within 45 to 60 days. It also blamed the State’s finances.

With all major political parties, including the DMK, the AIADMK, and the BJP, backing the farmers, they vowed to continue their protest till the ruling TVK implemented its poll promise. The government responded by announcing a revised loan waiver scheme on June 16.

It promised total waiver of loans up to ₹75,000 for all farmers irrespective of land holdings. For loans above ₹75,000, the waiver was restricted to ₹35,000 per farmer. But the farmers remain dissatisfied and their protests continue.

Maharashtra model

The Maharashtra government’s announcement that a complete waiver of farm loans up to ₹2 lakh would be sanctioned has further fuelled anger among farmers. “Won’t the RBI norms apply to Maharashtra? Why cannot Tamil Nadu follow suit,” asked  N.A. Ramachandra Raja of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam. Of the 600 farmers who had borrowed from the Singarajakottai Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society in Rajapalayam, only 170 will benefit from the waiver, he said.

Why do farmers demand loan waivers? They complain that their occupation has become a gamble amid the adverse impact of climate change. “Each year, several farmers part with their farmland unable to handle the crop loss they face. The government needs to incentivise grain production,” Mr. Ramachandra Raja says.

The farmers point out that farmers in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh are being given ₹6,000 to ₹10,000 as incentive to sustain food production. While a farmer sells one quintal of paddy for ₹2,450, he buys a 50-kg bag of complex fertilizer for ₹2,100, Mr.  Ramachandra Raja points out.

Mr. Abraham adds, “If the farmer wants to increase the yield, he has to apply potash, costing ₹2,400 [50-kg bag]. And the cost of pesticides has also skyrocketed.”

In addition, the farmers face shortage of workers during peak farming season as the workers prefer MGNREGS  work.

“Even after we undergo all these hardships to raise the paddy, the government is in no mood to give us a fair remuneration. In a situation where the farmers cannot fix the price of their produce, we have no other option but to demand crop loan waiver to sustain farming,” he says.

The Swaminathan Committee had recommended that the Minimum Support Price for crops should at least be 50% more than the comprehensive cost of production. “If its recommendation is implemented, we would not need crop loan waiver or fertilizer subsidy. It is now the bounden duty of the government to provide crop loan waiver,” says Mr. Perumbadaiyar of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam in Tirunelveli.

(With inputs from V. Venkatasubramanian in Thanjavur, S. Sundar in Madurai, and P. Sudhakar in Tirunelveli)

YSRCP leaders, led by former Minister Sake Sailajanath, submitting a representation to district Collector O Anand, urging the government to address farmers issues, in Anantapur on Monday.
| Photo Credit: R.V.S. Prasad

Jaipur:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress, saying they talk big in the name of farmers but they neither do anything for them nor let others do anything.

He also alleged the party encourages water disputes among states rather than resolving them, and said the delay in the implementation of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) is a direct proof of the Congress’ “intention”.

The ERCP envisages intra-basin transfer of water within the Chambal Basin to provide it to 13 deficient districts of eastern Rajasthan.

“The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was delayed for so long by the Congress, this is also a direct proof of the Congress’ intentions. They talk big in the name of farmers but they neither do anything themselves for the farmers nor let others do anything,” Prime Minister Modi said.

He was addressing the ‘Ek Varsh-Parinaam Utkarsh’ event to mark the completion of the Rajasthan government’s one year in office. He also inaugurated or laid the foundation stones for 24 projects related to energy, road, railways and water worth over Rs 46,300 crore.

The prime minister said the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project (Integrated PKC-ERCP) will provide irrigation as well as drinking water facility to 21 districts of Rajasthan and accelerate the development of both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

On various water disputes between states, he said while the BJP’s policy is to promote dialogue, the Congress continues to fan water discords.

“The BJP’s policy is of dialogue, not of conflict. We believe in cooperation, not opposition. We believe in solutions, not disruption. Therefore, our government has approved and also expanded the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. As soon as the BJP government was formed in MP and Rajasthan, an agreement was reached on the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal project,” he said.

The prime minister noted that he had launched a big campaign to bring Narmada water to different parts of Gujarat when he was the chief minister, and charged the Congress and some NGOs adopted various tactics to stop it.

“The Congress never wants to reduce water problems…The water of our rivers used to flow to across the borders, but our farmers did not get its benefits. Instead of finding a solution, the Congress continued to promote water disputes between states,” he said.

PM Modi also said that the BJP is getting huge public support in different states where elections were held. “The nation has given the BJP the opportunity to serve the country for the third consecutive time in Lok Sabha. This did not happen in India in the last 60 years,” he said.

“Today, the BJP’s double engine governments are becoming a symbol of good governance. Whatever resolution the BJP takes, it makes honest efforts to fulfil it. Today, the people of the country are saying that BJP is the guarantee of good governance,” he said, and lauded the work of Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government in the state.

“In the last one year, Bhajanlal ji and his entire team have worked very hard to give new momentum and direction to the development of Rajasthan. This first year has, in a way, laid a strong foundation for the many years to come,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi said people blessed the BJP with the responsibility to serve Rajasthan for multiple terms and party did its best.

“Bhairon Singh Shekhawat laid a strong foundation of development in Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje took the legacy forward and now Bhajanlal Sharma’s government is engaged in further enriching good governance. Its impact can be seen in one year,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi said the Central government is constantly trying to improve the economic condition of villages and focusing on promoting every means of earning there.

Rajasthan has ample potential for solar energy and it can become the leading state in the sector, he said.

The PM said north India will get direct connectivity to Kandla from the Jamnagar-Amritsar Economic Corridor. “Rajasthan’s transport sector will benefit. Big warehouses will be built and new job opportunities will be created,” he said.

“The BJP makes honest efforts to fulfil every promise it makes. The BJP has been getting huge support in states. The country has given the party the opportunity to serve the country for the third time in a row in Lok Sabha,” he said.

He also mentioned the victory of the party in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections, and bypolls in Rajasthan.

Talking about women empowerment, he said 10 crore women, including lakhs from Rajasthan, joined Self-Help Groups in the last decade. He also highlighted the government’s women-specific programmes such as the Lakhpati Didi scheme, Namo Drone Didi Scheme and Bima Sakhi Scheme.

The PM encouraged party workers to work towards water conservation and make people aware about it, saying the BJP is not just the biggest political party but a huge social movement.

CM Bhajanlal also addressed the meeting and highlighted the achievements of his government.

Union ministers C R Patil, Bhagirath Chaudhary, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa and other leaders were also present in the programme.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi reached the meeting venue in an open jeep, flanked on his left by the CM and BJP state president Madan Rathore on his right.

The vehicle was escorted by a group of women carrying ‘Kalash’ on head.

During the programme, Prime Minister Modi also mixed water of different rivers in a pot to symbolise the interlinking of rivers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhopal:

There has been a lot of talk about ‘Drone Didis’ across the, but the initiative meant to empower women farmers in Madhya Pradesh has hit a roadblock. The drones given to them for spraying fertilisers and pesticides have been malfunctioning due to battery issues. After flying for just a few minutes, the drones land abruptly, leaving much of the work incomplete, the women farmers said.

The government had given the mini flying machines to the ‘Drone Didis’ to make them self-reliant in agriculture. The plan to empower them is, however, struggling due to problems with the drone batteries.

‘Drone Didis’ districts including Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, and Dewas shared their frustrating experience.

Roshni Yadav, a farmer in Satna, uses a drone in Nagaud and Rampur Baghelan. She told NDTV it would be a miracle if her drone worked for even a few minutes.

“The drone crashes when the battery dies and damages its blades. It takes eight-ten days to get the blades replaced. The drone works well, but the farmers are not satisfied. When the battery dies, travelling 40-50 km wastes our time,” Ms Yadav said.

In Dewas, Manju Didi from Khategaon and Nirmala from Tumdawada also operate drones to spray pesticide. They received training in Indore, but both are worried about the reliability of the drone batteries. Promised a 30-minute flight time, the batteries barely last 10-15 minutes now, they said.

“I’m always scared that the drone may crash. I had to replace a key part recently. It flies only for 15 minutes and takes over an hour to charge it,” Nirmala said.

Manisha, another ‘Drone Didi’ from Sidhi, shared a similar experience. Her drone lands just after five-seven minutes of flight, she said. Despite receiving training in Indore and Noida, the two batteries she was given were inadequate for covering even three acres of land.

“Initially, we worked in small fields, but when we moved to larger fields of 8-10 acres, it became a major issue. After spraying two acres, the battery dies, and then it takes time to recharge. Transporting the drone is also a hassle due to its weight,” Manisha told NDTV.

‘Drone Didis’ in Rewa, too, reported the same problems – due to weak battery backup and a small tank, the drones can only spray 1 to 1.5 acres at a time.

The agriculture department remains optimistic though. When NDTV contacted Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he acknowledged the battery problem and assured the women that instead of one battery, every ‘Drone Didi’ will get five, allowing continuous use.

“There was an issue with the drone’s battery – the flight time was very short. Now, instead of just one, we will give them five batteries. If one battery runs out, they will have four as backup, allowing them to keep flying the drone continuously,” said Mr Chouhan.

The ‘Drone Didis’ are paid between Rs 300 and Rs 500 per acre for spraying, and the 15-kg drones were provided to them for free by the government. The women received two batteries with the drones.

Till date, 89 women self-help groups in Madhya Pradesh have been given drones under this initiative. The central government also plans to distribute 15,000 drones nationwide, with a budget of Rs 1,261 crore.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release over Rs 20,000 crore as the 17th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme at an event in Varanasi on June 18, which will benefit 9.26 crore farmers nationwide, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday.

”Agriculture has always been a priority for the Prime Minister in his last two tenures,” Mr Chouhan said.

“Maintaining absolute transparency in registering and verifying beneficiaries, the Government of India has disbursed over Rs 3.04 lakh crore to more than 11 crore farmers across the nation. With this release, the total amount transferred to the beneficiaries since the inception of the scheme will cross well over Rs 3.24 lakh crore,” the minister said.

Mr Chouhan said that PM Modi will also grant certificates to more than 30,000 self-help groups designated as Krishi Sakhis after the release of the 17th instalment of the PM KISAN scheme.

PM Modi kicked off his third term in office on June 10 with the signing of the release of the 17th instalment of the PM Kisan Nidhi to underline the importance that his government attaches to the farmers.

The scheme, launched in February 2019, transfers online an amount of Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 directly into the bank accounts of farmers.

The Minister further stated that around 2.5 crore farmers will join the event across the country through video. Additionally, 732 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), over 1 lakh Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, and 5 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) from across the country will participate in the event to raise awareness among farmers.

Several Union Ministers will also be visiting 50 Krishi Vigyan Kendras to interact with farmers and raise awareness about the various schemes of the Department. They will also distribute certificates to the trained Krishi Sakhis of the area, Mr Chouhan added.

Following the Kisan Sammelan, PM Modi will visit the Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple and participate in the world-famous Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)