CHENNAI: Owing to the northeast monsoon rains, the reservoirs in the state have 29.76% more water – standing at 168.259 tmcft as on Thursday – compared to the water level during the same period last year, which stood at 101.927 tmcft.
According to the Water Resources Department (WRD) data accessed by TNIE, only seven of the 90 reservoirs, including Vattar in Dharmapuri, Gundar in Tenkasi, Sothuparai in Theni, have reached their capacity. However, 33 reservoirs have crossed 70% of their storage capacity.
Especially, the Mettur dam has seen a 52.57% increase, with the water level at 76,045 Million Cubic Feet (mcft) which is 81.36% of its capacity (93,470 mcft). Last year, during the same period, the storage was significantly lower at just 26,702 mcft (28.57% of the capacity).
A senior WRD official told TNIE, “Tamil Nadu has received 258.50 tmcft of water from Karnataka till November 19 this year, which is 106.41 tmcft more than the 152.08 tmcft mandated by the Supreme Court. This additional inflow has gradually boosted storage levels in the Mettur dam, which is expected to reach capacity within weeks.
As per guidelines, water discharge from the dam will continue till January 28 for irrigation purposes.” Another official said that with adequate storage, the government is well-prepared to tackle the water demand next summer.
Federation of Cauvery Delta Farmers Association president K V Elankeeran said delta districts would have their harvest season in January and February, minimising the need for water after that.
However, he said the state should consider supporting farmers growing short-term crops by releasing small quantities of water.
