CHENNAI: The state government has sanctioned `115 crore to Water Resources Department (WRD) for desilting in key zones including Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, and Coimbatore.
An official from the department has confirmed that despite ongoing desilting efforts in the Cauvery river basin, the release of water for irrigation in June will hinge on the rain during the summer.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior official said, “Prior to discharging water from Mettur dam for irrigation purposes, it is customary to undertake desilting, bund strengthening, and other necessary works in the Cauvery basin, which encompasses 37 rivers, 21,629 sub-channels, 924 authorised lakes, and 1,428 unauthorised lakes, ultimately benefiting nearly 7 lakh hectares of agricultural land.”
This year, the state government has earmarked `95 crore specifically for the Cauvery basin, with the remainder of the funds allocated for other critical zones. Tenders for these projects in the four zones will soon be initiated by the WRD.
Furthermore, the official reassured farmers in the tail end of the delta districts will continue to receive water as usual, despite the ongoing desilting efforts.
Another official emphasised, “For irrigation purposes in delta districts such as Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Myladuthurai, water will be released from the Mettur dam on June 12, depending on the reservoir’s storage levels.”
As of Friday, the Mettur dam’s water level stood at 67.070 feet, with a storage capacity of 30,325 million cubic feet and an inflow of 25 cusecs. Currently, 2 TMC of water is being discharged for irrigation. With the onset of the next monsoon season, managing the region’s drinking water requirements with the existing storage will be crucial.
The official highlighted the possibility of opening the dam shutters in June if the region receives sufficient rainfall or water from Karnataka, although the summer months may lead to a reduction in storage levels.