Mettur Dam Water to Be Released for Delta Irrigation on Sept 1

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will release water from the Mettur dam on Sept 1 for irrigation in the Cauvery delta districts, Rural Development and Water Resources Minister N Anand announced on Wednesday.

The decision follows insufficient southwest monsoon rainfall across the Cauvery basin and sustained demands from farmers seeking irrigation support. In an official statement, the minister said water will be released for 45 days, subject to inflow and storage levels at the reservoir.

At the start of the irrigation year, the dam held 41.223 tmc feet of water, requiring the administration to maintain a mandatory minimum reserve of 10 tmc feet and limit releases strictly to drinking water needs. With recent improvements in reservoir inflows, the government decided to meet both drinking water and agricultural requirements.

The minister noted that Tamil Nadu has consistently pursued its water rights before the Cauvery Water Regulatory Commission, the Cauvery Water Management Authority, and the Supreme Court to ensure supplies at Billigundulu. Karnataka was subsequently directed to release 3,500, 9,000, and 12,000 cusecs at varying intervals to fulfill Tamil Nadu's entitlement.

Farmers have been advised to manage water usage judiciously and adhere to technical guidance issued by the agriculture department regarding land preparation, nursery management, sowing schedules, and the selection of short- and medium-duration rice varieties. District collectors and officials from the water resources and agriculture departments have been directed to coordinate field operations to maximise irrigation efficiency.

As of Wednesday, the water level at the Mettur dam reached 88.84 feet, approaching the 90-foot threshold required for irrigation discharge. Total storage stood at 51.33 tmc feet, with an inflow of 10,405 cusecs and an outflow of approximately 2,000 cusecs for drinking water needs.

Ahead of the chief minister's scheduled visit, security arrangements at the dam were reviewed on Wednesday. Western Zone Inspector General R V Ramya Bharathi, Salem Range DIG Santosh Hadimani, and Salem District Superintendent of Police S Kuthalingam inspected the reservoir premises and coordinated safety plans with water resources officials.

The Mettur dam, which has a full reservoir level of 120 feet, irrigates 16.05 lakh acres across 12 districts, including Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Trichy, Thanjavur, and Tiruvarur. Water could not be released on the standard date of June 12 earlier this year due to low storage, which compelled farmers to depend on well irrigation for kuruvai crop cultivation.