SALEM: The Mettur Dam was opened on Monday morning for irrigation in the Cauvery delta, six days ahead of the customary date.An initial quantum of 6,000 cusecs of water was released. It was further stepped up to 12,000 cusecs in the evening.“The water will reach Kallanai in Tiruchy on June 8, after which it will be regulated to the seven delta districts where farmers have planned to cultivate paddy. Thanjavur district takes a lion’s share of it —with 1,06,253 acres of the total area. Necessary steps have been taken to ensure that the water reaches tail-end areas by desliting and repairing channels over a length of 1656.51 km at a cost of `16.28 crore,” PWD minister K V Ramalingam said.Although the dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the Cauvery water is at an ebb, the six extra days of water is expected to give a leg up to the Cauvery delta irrigation. Ramalingam dubbed the dam’s early opening as a “well considered move of the government, taking into account the report from the chief engineer, PWD water resources department, the Collectors in delta districts and the needs of the farmers”.Owing to the heavy rains last November into tributaries Bhavani and Amaravathy, sufficient water was stored in the Mettur dam, after the required supply to delta farmers. Last December 12, the level had touched its full reservoir level of 120 ft.The last irrigation season had ended on a good note. The closing stock in the reservoir was a comfortable 77.703 TMC and the water level had stood at 109.55 ft.Although Karnataka’s supply to Tamil Nadu last year, was short by 3 TMC, it was predicted that the dam would have a comfortable storage level to commence irrigation on time this year.When the skies unusually opened up in April and May, the water level reached 110 ft. Therefore, the government decided to go for a early opening. The closing date (January 28), however, will not be advanced, according to a Government Order.The level in the dam as of Monday morning was 116 ft as against it full height of 120 ft. It holds 87.232 TMC of water as against its full capacity of 93.5 TMC.Water shortage will be addressed: MinisterThe PWD minister said the current water storage would be sufficient till September 30. The onset of the South-west monsoon is expected to feed the samba crop. Should a shortfall in water storage arise, the AIADMK government would take all efforts to get water from the neighbouring State, he assured.First time since indpendence It is the first time since Independence that the opening date of the Mettur dam has been advanced. Only on three occasions during the pre-Independence days the level stood above 100 ft on the opening day. There have been times when the authorities have gone ahead with the opening even when the water level was as lows as 50 ft. The water level, however, has little to do with the opening. Water management has based on monsoon pattern and farmers’ demand.
Comments
0 comment