Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin to open Mettur Dam ahead of schedule

The sluices of the 88-year-old Stanley Reservoir in Mettur will be opened in May, days ahead of its scheduled opening. The May opening will happen when Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday releases water for cultivation of kuruvai (short-term crop) in the Cauvery Delta region.

The state government decided to release water ahead of June 12 - the set date for opening of the dam - due to the continuous inflow into the reservoir because of the incessant rains in the catchment areas of River Cauvery in Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.

The inflow into the dam on Monday stood at 12,777 cusecs, while the water level stood 117.27 feet, as against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 120 feet. The water storage is 89.198 Tmcft (89.198 billion cubic feet). As the dam is expected to reach its FRL in the next few days, the state government decided to release water much before it becomes full.

This is the second time after Independence that the dam has been opened for three consecutive years before the set date of June 12. This is also the first time that the dam is being opened in May.

Ahead of the release, Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam reviewed the preparations for the kuruvai season. He asked officials to ensure that farmers get seeds and required fertilisers on time, while encouraging farmers to go for maximum cultivation.

The water release is expected to benefit four lakh acres of land that will go for kuruvai cultivation. The government believes the water will reach the Delta region by the end of this month.

Officials said the early release of water from Mettur Dam will not just allow farmers to go for kuruvai, but also allow them to prepare for samba (long-term crop) early and avoid them getting submerged in floods.

However, not all farmers are happy with the government’s decision.

G Srinivasan, a progressive farmer from Thanjavur, wrote to Stalin asking him to defer the water release by a week. “The desilting works are in progress and if the water is released ahead of the schedule, they will not be completed properly. Also, a few crops that are ready for harvest will be damaged. Even if the government wants to release water, they should limit it to 2,000 cusecs a day,” Srinivasan said.

In 2021, paddy was cultivated in a record 4.9 lakh acre against 3.21 lakh acre in 2020 during the kuruvai season—the highest in the last 46 years. The government recently said the increased cultivation area in kuruvai and favourable rainfall during the year 2021-22 has contributed to the increased food grain production.

While the first two seasons primarily cultivated paddy, farmers utilised the third season to cultivate pulses.