The depleting water level at Bhavani Sagar Reservoir caused by delayed Northeast monsoon rainfall has caused apprehensions about water availability till the end of the cultivation season in the district.
Water level
The level in the reservoir exceeded 18 tmc when water was released into the Kalingarayan, Thadapalli-Arakankottai and Lower Bhavani Project canals. Over the last month, the Public Works Department put in place turn system to optimise water utilisation.
Yet, the possibility for the existing extent of 6.85 tmc water to last till December was bleak.
Rains
At the same time last year, the storage was in the range of 14 tmc. Though there is hope that the level will rise up considerably with accrual from the Northeast monsoon rains expected to start later this month, the PWD has understandably made arrangements for obtaining six tmc water from hydel reservoirs in The Nilgiris district.
LBP canal
The LBP canal has the largest ayacut area of 1.03 lakh acres in Erode, Karur and Tirupur districts.
The Kalingarayan canal has an ayacut of 15,743 acres and the Thadapalli Arakankottai canals are the sources of irrigation for 24,504 acres.
On Sunday, water level stood at 58.72 feet. The inflow was 1,792 cusecs.
Discharge of 700 cusecs was made into River Bhavani, and 2,000 cusecs into the LBP canal.
The possibility for the existing extent of 6.85 tmc water in the reservoir to last till December was bleak
