Release water, not empty promises, says Edappadi K Palaniswami

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has sharply intensified his attack on Tamil Nadu ruling TVK government, accusing Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay of betraying farmers by failing to release water from the Mettur Dam for critical kuruvai paddy cultivation by the customary June 12th deadline. This condemnation comes amidst mounting farmer protests across the Cauvery delta region, exacerbated by unfulfilled promises of comprehensive agricultural loan waiver and a contentious inter-state water dispute with Karnataka. The political confrontation escalates as farmers in the delta face potential crop failure due to insufficient water, a crisis Palaniswami attributes to the TVK government's inability to secure Tamil Nadu rightful share of Cauvery water from Karnataka and its alleged failure to manage internal water resources effectively. Adding fuel to the fire, the AIADMK leader highlighted that the government's recent announcement of a selective Rs 2,044 crore cooperative crop loan waiver falls far short of its election pledge to write off over Rs 10,000 crore in agricultural debt, leaving a vast majority of distressed farmers in limbo. This limited waiver, influenced by new National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) regulations from November 2025, has been widely criticized by farmer associations as inadequate. With kuruvai cultivation now imperiled and farmer protests gaining traction, the spotlight is firmly on the TVK government to address both the immediate water scarcity and the long-standing issue of farmer indebtedness. The ongoing Cauvery water dispute, particularly Karnataka renewed push for the Mekedatu dam project, adds another layer of complexity, demanding a swift and decisive response from Chief Minister Vijay to prevent a full-blown agrarian crisis. The coming weeks will test the administration's ability to navigate these interconnected challenges and avert further political fallout, especially with opposition parties like AIADMK seizing on the discontent.