JOIN USNearing FRL, sluice gates of Mettur Dam opened
With just one foot left to achieve the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 120 feet, the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur was opened on Tuesday prompting authorities to issue a flood warning to those living on the banks of River Cauvery in 11 districts of Tamil Nadu.
At 8 am on Tuesday, the water level at the 87-year-old reservoir stood at 119 feet, even as the water storage reached 91.883 tmcft. The inflow into the reservoir was 19,290 cusecs while 20,150 cusecs of water were being released into the river and canal as a precautionary measure.
Sources said the level will be maintained at 119 feet, while the incoming water will be let out into the river. The dam had last achieved FRL in 2019 due to heavy rains in catchment areas of River Cauvery in Karnataka.
As a precautionary measure, the Tamil Nadu government asked administrations in 11 districts -- Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Perambalur –to be on high alert. The collectors have been asked to take steps to evacuate people living in low-lying areas and ensure that people don’t step into the river.
Mettur dam is the lifeline of lakhs of farmers in the Cauvery Delta region in Tamil Nadu who depend on water from the reservoir for the cultivation of crops.
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