Water level in Mettur dam rises

Heavy rain lashed southern and western parts of Tamil Nadu since Sunday night, bringing good inflow in several reservoirs, including the Mettur dam.

Water Resources Department officials told DH on Monday that the inflow rose to 7,628 cusecs due to heavy rain in catchment area of river Cauvery in Karnataka.

Accordingly, the water levels in the Mettur reservoir rose to 66 feet compared to 50 feet last Monday.

 “The water level is expected to touch 70 feet in the next few days, if the southwest monsoon rain intensifies further”, a senior official from PWD water resources department said. However, the official said that the dam could be opened for the Delta farmers for Kuruvai cultivation only when the water level in the dam is about 90-feet level.

K’taka factor

“If the Karnataka government releases 10 TMC water during this season, as per the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, the water level will reach more than 80 feet and further intensification of rain will also contribute to the further inflow in Mettur”, the official pointed out.

However, the official said that about 500 cusecs water is being released from Mettur dam for drinking purpose.

Delta areas such as Tanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and some parts of Salem, which produces 25 lakh tonnes of paddy every year with Kuruvai and Samba cultivation done in about 20 lakh acres, also received good rainfall this monsoon season.

As the Tamil Nadu government was not in a position to open the shutters of the Mettur dam on the scheduled date of June 12, the government has came out with Rs 64.30-crore package for Delta farmers for taking up Kuruvai cultivation in six districts, besides providing 12-hour continuous power.