All set for water release from Mettur

The level in the dam rises to 105 ft.

A view of the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur with water level reaching 105 ft on Wednesday evening. The inflow stood at 1,08,448 cusecs. Photo: E_Lakshmi Narayanan

The sluices of the Stanley reservoir in Mettur will be opened on Thursday by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami for commencing agricultural operations in the delta districts.

The customary water release is for 230 days for raising paddy on about 16 lakh acres in the Cauvery Basin as per the irrigation calendar of the Public Works Department (PWD).

First time

Both the farmers and the official machinery are ecstatic as the Mettur Dam is being opened for the first time after the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee on the direction of the Supreme Court after a prolonged legal battle.

The realisation of water at Mettur was 1,08,448 cusecs on Wednesday.

It was for the third consecutive day that the inflow into the dam crossed the one-lakh cusecs mark.

The water level rose by 6.78 feet in a day – from 98.2 ft on Tuesday evening to 104.98 ft at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

With all arrangements in place, S.K. Prabkar, Secretary, Public Works Department, accompanied by Salem Collector Rohini R. Bhajibhakare and senior officials inspected the dam.

The Collector said the Revenue and PWD officials would keep a close watch on the situation, following copious flow in the Cauvery downstream of Biligundlu.