Water was released from Periyar dam for irrigation of the first crop in the double-cropping areas of Cumbum valley.
Releasing water from the dam on Tuesday, Collector N. Venkatachalam said initially 200 cusecs of water would be released from the dam for the next 120 days continuously.
A total of 14,707 acres – 11,807 acres in Uthamapalayam, 2,412 acres in Theni and 488 acres in Bodi blocks – would benefit. The Collector also appealed to the farmers to use water judiciously and raise short term crops for better yield and profit.
The Public Works Department engineers said that turn system would be introduced if the storage level failed to improve or in case of monsoon failure.
Representatives of local bodies, officials from PWD and revenue officials and leaders of farmers associations participated.
At present, water level stood at 117 feet in Periyar dam. Inflow into the dam was 100 cusecs and the storage was 2,087 mcft.
Meanwhile, the PWD officials and the farmers hoped that the Southwest monsoon would improve the storage level in the coming months to maintain the discharge for the first crop till harvest.
The PWD officials had released water from the dam last year, even as the storage level was just 113.8 feet.
The storage in the Vaigai dam was also comfortable when compared to last year. The sudden summer rain helped improve the level substantially.
The present storage level stood at 45.87 feet in the Vaigai dam and the inflow was 163 cusecs.
The discharge was 60 cusecs. Storage was 1,496 mcft. It would suffice to meet drinking water needs of Andipatti, Sedapatti and Madurai and hamlets in southern districts, the officials added.
