Mettur, Aug 26:
The long-awaited opening of the Mettur Dam for Cauvery delta irrigation could be announced shortly, with Chief Minister Vijay reportedly planning to visit the reservoir in the next couple of days to release water for cultivation.
The development comes as the water level in the Mettur Dam has risen to 88.84 feet, with the storage touching 51.33 tmc, following increased inflow from the Cauvery catchment areas.
The reservoir is expected to reach the 90-foot mark soon, strengthening hopes among delta farmers for the release of water. The government is expected to take a decision on the opening after assessing the storage position and inflow.
Traditionally, water is released from the Mettur Dam for irrigation in the Cauvery delta on June 12 every year. The release benefits agriculture across around 17 lakh acres of farmland in 12 districts, including Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai.
However, the customary release could not take place on June 12 this year due to inadequate water storage in the reservoir.
With rainfall in the Cauvery catchment areas increasing inflows into the dam in recent days, the water level has been steadily rising, paving the way for the possible opening of the reservoir for irrigation.
Amid reports of the Chief Minister’s possible visit, Salem district police have stepped up preparations at the Mettur Dam.
Salem Superintendent of Police Kuthalingam inspected the dam on Monday to review security and precautionary arrangements. He inspected the right bank, the upper sluice area and sections connected with the operation of the electrically controlled gates.
Water Resources Department Executive Engineer Selvaraj, Assistant Engineers Satish and Prasanth, and DSP Shanmugasundaram were among those present during the inspection.
The security review has further fuelled speculation that a formal announcement on the release of Cauvery water for delta irrigation may be made soon.
The possibility of opening the dam had also figured in the Assembly recently, where Water Resources Minister N. Anand, responding to a question on the issue, said that “good news” regarding the opening of the Mettur Dam would be coming soon.
With the reservoir level continuing to rise, the Minister’s remarks have assumed significance for farmers in the Cauvery delta, who have been awaiting the release of water for cultivation.
The inflow into the Mettur Dam, which had touched 13,415 cusecs on the morning of the previous day, later fell to 12,231 cusecs in the evening. It was recorded at 12,534 cusecs on Tuesday morning and declined to 10,807 cusecs in the evening.
The latest inflow has further dropped to 10,405 cusecs per second.
Despite the fall in inflow, the dam’s storage has continued to improve as the volume of water entering the reservoir remains significantly higher than the outflow.
At present, 2,000 cusecs of water is being released from the dam to meet drinking water requirements.
The water level, which had earlier stood at 88.43 feet with storage of 50.87 tmc, has now risen to 88.84 feet, while the storage has increased to 51.33 tmc.
The possible opening of the dam is expected to provide a major boost to farmers in the Cauvery delta, particularly as the traditional June 12 release was missed this year.
The State government’s decision on releasing water is now eagerly awaited by farmers, with the improving storage position and security preparations at Mettur indicating that an announcement could be made shortly.
If the reservoir is opened for irrigation, it will mark a crucial step in supporting cultivation across the Cauvery delta and provide relief to lakhs of farmers dependent on the river system.