Moderate showers in the catchment areas of Periyar dam increased the inflow into the reservoir sharply. The inflow was nil till May 1.
Public Works Department officials have started discharging the entire inflow of 200 cusecs into the river to meet the drinking water needs of urban and rural local bodies in the district, and also to improve storage in Vagiai dam to meet the drinking water needs of Madurai city and the areas covered under Sedapatti Combined Drinking Water Project.
The sizeable discharge into Periyar river made local body officials and water managers heave a sigh of relief. Veerapandi Sri Gowmarimman Temple officials also got some relief as it would ensure a fair flow of water in Periyar river to enable pilgrims to bathe in and collect water from the river to pour it over the ‘kambam’ erected inside the temple as part of the annual Chithirai festival.
Since agricultural activities have come to a standstill with thousands of acres remaining barren due to acute drought condition and monsoon failure, 70% of the discharge from Periyar dam reaches Vaigai dam safely.
However, farmers who have cultivated perennial and long-term crops and horticultural crops continue to draw water from the river illegally. But water theft does not affect the inflow into Vaigai dam, which is 133 cusecs.
The water level in Vaigai dam had almost touched dead storage in the last week of April, signalling a serious problem in supplying drinking water to Madurai city and other areas in May.
But the sudden rainfall on the Western Ghats and in Kerala cheered the officials and kept their hopes alive. Even intermittent summer showers would help manage this summer, the officials said.
Intermittent showers in the last 48 hours brought down the temperature substantially on Kodaikanal hill, which had been facing an acute water crisis for the past 15 days. The sky remained overcast on Tuesday evening.
