VELLORE: Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Durai Murugan on Saturday said the date on which the Mettur dam would be opened to discharge water for irrigation will be decided after weighing all options including current storage in reservoirs in Karnataka and eliciting the views of top authorities of the delta region.
The matter will be discussed with the district collectors of the delta region on Sunday.
“We have convened a meeting of district collectors in Thanjavur tomorrow (Sunday) to discuss the possibilities and modalities of opening the Mettur dam for irrigation for the season,” Durai Murugan told reporters in Vellore after launching the COVID financial assistance at Shenbakkam in the city.
He added that certain factors, including current water storage in the Mettur dam and the storage position at the reservoirs in Karnataka, will also be weighed before taking a decision.
Farmers in the delta region have begun to raise a chorus for opening the Mettur dam on the customary date as it will benefit their farming activities.
It may be noted that the customary date for opening Mettur for discharging water for irrigation in the delta region is June 12. However, it will be delayed if the storage position is not comfortable to sustain discharge.
Last year, the dam was opened on the customary date of June 12 after a gap of eight years as the storage level and inflow into the reservoir were comfortable. However, currently the storage is about 62 tmc. If the southeast monsoon hits on time and the reservoirs in neighbouring Karnataka begin to receive copious rain water, the dam could be opened for irrigation, sources said.