The Mettur Dam, officially known as the Stanley Reservoir and a vital source for irrigation and water supply in Tamil Nadu, is experiencing a significant increase in its water level and inflow.
The dam, which has a full reservoir level (FRL) of 120 feet and a total capacity of 93.47 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet), recently had its water level at 119.71 feet.
The increased water level is primarily due to heavy rainfall in the upstream Cauvery catchment areas and subsequent water releases from upstream dams in Karnataka.
The latest reports indicate a substantial inflow into the reservoir, reaching 17,069 cusecs (cubic feet per second).
In response to the high storage level, the amount of water discharged into the Cauvery River for delta irrigation has been reduced to 15,000 cusecs, with an additional 800 cusecs being released for canal irrigation.
The high water level provides crucial relief to farmers, ensuring an adequate water supply for cultivation, particularly the Kuruvai paddy crop, for which the dam was opened earlier by the Tamil Nadu government.
However, the high inflow also necessitates vigilant management and the issuance of flood alerts to residents in downstream areas as a precautionary measure.