CHENNAI: Following the orders from Chief Minister MK Stalin, Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru on Sunday opened the Mettur dam for irrigation in the presence of Salem District Collector R Brinda Devi, Salem MP T M Selvaganapathy and senior officials. Nehru and others offered flowers to the flowing water.
The dam could not be opened on the traditional date - June 12 as the storage level was insufficient due to Karnataka government’s refusal to release Cauvery water as per monthly schedule stipulated by the Supreme Court.
Initially, 12,000 cusecs will be released and depending upon the inflow, the release of water will be increased gradually.
A decision to open the dam was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Stalin at the secretariat wherein Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan and collectors for delta districts and senior officials took part.
The inflow into the Mettur dam has been increasing since July 17 and the storage level stands at 109.20ft (77.30 tmc). The four dams across the Cauvery river in Karnataka are overflowing and a surplus water of 1.48 cusecs is being released from these dams.
Additionally, since the rains are continuing in Cauvery catchment areas in Karnataka, this inflow is likely to continue for the next three days. Considering these facts, the CM discussed releasing water for irrigation from the Mettur dam.
An official release here said water is being released after taking sufficient precautionary measures. Besides, arrangements have been made to celebrate the Adiperukku festival as well as utilize the water for Kuruvai crops. The government has also taken steps to store the water being released in the lakes and ponds.
"The CM has instructed the district collectors concerned and officials of various departments to make all arrangements for fortifying the groundwater table using the water being released. Since there are chances of increasing the quantum of water being released in due course, the people living on the banks of rivers should be evacuated to safer places," the release said.
The release also pointed out that the government has desilted the canals for a stretch of 5,339 km in 13 districts along the Cauvery delta so that the water released from the Mettur dam reaches the tail-end areas. In 11 districts, 925 lakes are kept ready for receiving 8.513 tmc of water. Already, the CM has announced a Kuruvai package to the tune of Rs.78.67 crore to the farmers.
