CHENNAI: The Stanley Reservoir in Mettur (commonly known as Mettur Dam), a major source of water in Tamil Nadu, has recorded a sharp increase in its water level this year, thanks to substantial rainfall from the southwest monsoon.
As of Sunday, the dam is holding 81,983 million cubic feet (mcft) of water, which is 87.71% of its full capacity of 93,470 mcft. This is a big jump compared to the same period last year when the storage was only 15,632 mcft (just 16.72% of its total capacity).
According to the Water Resources Department (WRD) data accessed by TNIE, this is one of the highest water storage levels in the past six years, except in 2022 when the dam had 89,431 mcft of water (95.68%)
In a major development, Tamil Nadu has received 305 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of Cauvery water from Karnataka during the previous water year (June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025). This is 128 tmcft more than the 177 tmcft fixed by the Supreme Court.
Speaking to TNIE, R Dhayalakumar, Chief Engineer of WRD (Tiruchy division), said, “The reservoirs in Karnataka Krishna Raja Sagar, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathy are better filled compared to the same time last year. So, Tamil Nadu is getting more water now.”
He added, “As of Sunday 8 am, the inflow into Mettur Dam is 3,017 cusecs, and we are releasing 1,000 cusecs for drinking purposes. With this storage, we are planning to open the shutters for irrigation on June 12 as scheduled.”
Preparations are on to handle a flood situation if it occurs in Cauvery River, he said.
Steady rise in water level in just a month
The Mettur Dam’s water level has increased steadily this month, bringing cheer to farmers and residents alike. On May 1, the dam had 75,250 mcft of water, which was 80.51% of its total capacity. The storage has increased by 6,733 mcft in just a month, reaching 81,983 mcft-87.71 % of the full level.