G K Vasan asks Tamil Nadu government to release water from Mettur dam on June 12

THANJAVUR (TN): Tamil Nadu government should take steps to release water from Mettur dam on June 12 as per schedule and help save farmers, Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Vasan said today.

Ryots in delta districts had been badly hit by the drought, he said and wanted release of water from Mettur on June 12 so that the farming community benefitted.

Vasan was talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a fast organised by farmers demanding setting up of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

He urged the central and state governments to take steps on a war-footing to provide relief to farmers, who were suffering due to the failure of the monsoon.

Vasan said about 90 per cent of farmers were badly hit by drought in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts and the yield had come down significantly.

The five-day farmers' protest which ended today, saw the participants raising slogans urging formation of CMB while calling for Tamil Nadu MPs and MLAs to boycott the Presidential polls.