Consequent to the discharge of surplus water from the Mettur dam and subsequent heavy realisation of water at Mukkombu Upper Anicut, the Public Works Department stepped up release of excess water into the Coleroon on Sunday.
The quantum of water realisation at Mukkumbo in the Cauvery continued to go up since Friday following discharge of entire surplus water from the Mettur dam into the Cauvery.
The realisation of water that stood at 36,000 cusecs at 5 p.m. on Saturday touched 1,07, 276 cusecs at 8 p.m.. on Sunday, forcing the authorities to increase the discharge of surplus water into the Coleroon.
According to PWD's River Conservation Division officials, out of 1,07, 276 cusecs, 35,000 cusecs was released into the Cauvery from Mukkombu.
The discharge into the Coleroon, which stood at 4,600 cusecs on Saturday, has been increased to 71,171 cusecs.
While 800 cusecs is being maintained in Uyyakondan canal, 400 cusecs each is released into South Bank Canal, New Kattalai High Level Canal and Pullambadi Canal.
Sources added that the discharge into the Coleroon is likely to go up further as the Mettur dam continued to receive more than 1 lakh cusecs for the third consecutive day on Sunday.
Since the delta requirement for irrigation was less than 30,000 cusecs as of now, the entire inflow beyond 30,000 would be discharged into the Coleroon.
Sunday's discharge of 1,07, 276 cusecs is the highest discharge into the Coleroon since August 7, 2013, when it was 81,000 cusecs.
The river, which is mainly used to carry surplus water to the sea, had carried 38,793 cusecs on July 25, 2018.
Going by the inputs, sources said that the discharge of water into the Coleroon would continue for at least four days.
Depending upon the realisation, the discharge might be increased on Monday.
Citing a report, a senior official said that there has been slight decline in the rainfall in catchment areas of the Cauvery in Karnataka and Kerala on Sunday.
The inflow into the Mettur dam might come down gradually.
