TIRUCHY: The sluice gates of Ponnaniyar Dam in Karur district were opened after over a decade for irrigation purposes on Wednesday. Tiruchy Collector M Pradeep Kumar, who opened the reservoir, said the released River Ponnaniyar water is expected to irrigate about 2,101 acres of farmlands in and around Manapparai of the district. The reservoir was last opened for irrigation in January 2012.
Since then, poor monsoon rains and a lack of water inflow into the dam forced the sluice gates to be kept shut. As per irrigation regulations, the dam must have a minimum level of 43 feet to permit water release, the collector said.
"Although the water level currently stands at only 36.50 feet, following persistent requests from the farming community, a recommendation was sent to the government seeking permission to release water. Based on the government order received, water has now been released to save the standing crops," he added.
Farmers in Manapparai taluk have raised millets, and cash crops like banana, groundnuts and vegetables, officials said. The reservoir between Semmalai and Perumalmalai hills in Kadavur taluk of Karur district was inaugurated by former chief minister M Karunanidhi in 1974. It has a storage capacity of 120 million cubic feet and storage level of 51 feet.
It is equipped with two sluices, each capable of discharging 7,028 cubic feet of water per second. The Ponnaniyar originates in the Kadavur hill region and flows for about 32 km through Kadavur and Manapparai taluks before merging with the Ariyaru, Koraiyar, and Kudamurutti rivers, eventually joining River Cauvery in Tiruchy, officials explained.