Augment storage capacity to better harness Cauvery, say experts

The discharge from Tamil Nadu’s premier reservoir has now scaled up, exceeding two lakh cusecs. The Cauvery is flushing out surplus for the 42nd time since 1934.
Cauvery in full spate at Palar on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border | S Udayshankar
Cauvery in full spate at Palar on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border | S Udayshankar

CHENNAI: Shedding tears over the loss of the huge quantity of water flowing downstream of the Cauvery as the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur continues to flush out surplus water, water management experts and activists stress the need for increasing the storage capacity across the Cauvery river in Tamil Nadu.
In the current year, the Stanley Reservoir touched the full level of 120 feet twice - on July 23 and on August 11 - overflowing, thanks to the enormous quantum of water discharged from the brimming reservoirs in the neighbouring Karnataka.

The discharge from Tamil Nadu’s premier reservoir has now scaled up, exceeding two lakh cusecs. The Cauvery is flushing out surplus for the 42nd time since 1934. It seems water is everywhere, but nowhere to hold it as the combined storage capacity of reservoirs and check dams accounts for well below 95 tmc.
According to A Veerappan, a water management expert and secretary of the Tamil Nadu PWD Senior Engineers Association (TNPWDSEA), up to 100 tmc water could have gone waste running off to the sea since the Mettur dam touched the full level.

“The water running off to the sea since the Mettur dam began overflowing can be estimated in the range of 60 tmc to 100 tmc. Since the proposals for raising check-dams and bed-dams were not given shape, we have to lose such huge quantity of water,” he told Express.

Suggesting ways and means for storage capacity addition, he said the height of the Stanley Reservoir can be increased by 10 feet as it is able to carry water up to 130 feet by “design and construction”. Moreover, the design of the dam is accepted by Karnataka as well. This will result in holding another 17 tmc water and dredging will add up to another 27 tmc water.

Construction of a check dam at Jedarpalayam in Namakkal district with a holding capacity of 5 tmc, 7 bed-dams across Kollidam between Mukkombu and Anaikkarai will save a quantum of 10.5 tmc water, he noted.

Senior lawyer and DMK leader KS Radhakrishnan, who was a litigant in the Supreme Court in the Cauvery river water row and inter-linking of rivers, too echoed the same views.“As part of storage capacity addition, 40 to 45 check-dams can be constructed across the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu. This is a long pending project. The authorities should pay attention to it at least now as it is painful to note a huge quantity of water going waste without being stored,” he said.

Talking to Express, he noted that desilting and deepening of tributaries and branches of the Cauvery and waterbodies like canals branching out of the river can also serve the purpose of holding more water so that it can turn large swaths of land fertile with water available for irrigation purposes.

Increasing the height of reservoir the solution?
The suggestion is for Increasing the height of the Stanley Reservoir by 10 feet as it is able to carry water up to 130 feet by design and construction. Moreover, the design is acceptable to Karnataka as well. This will result in holding another 17 tmc water and dredging will add up to another 27 tmc water

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