Tiruchi, September 5 (Daily Kiran) : Water released from the Mettur Dam for irrigation in the Cauvery Delta has reached the Upper Anicut in Tiruchi district, Tamil Nadu. However, the significantly reduced flow has raised concerns among farmers about whether it will be sufficient for their irrigation needs.
On September 1, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay ordered the release of 7,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) from the Mettur reservoir to support agriculture in the delta districts. By the time the water reached the Upper Anicut on Friday morning, the flow had dwindled to approximately 1,500 cusecs.
The release of water this year was delayed due to inadequate storage in the reservoir, impacting crops in some areas of the Cauvery Delta. After the water level in the reservoir rose to 92 feet, it was finally released, with a flow rate of 8,456 cusecs. The water reached the Mayanur barrage in Karur district on Thursday.
Initially, the flow at Mayanur was only 2,737 cusecs, but it later increased to 4,081 cusecs. Subsequently, about 2,050 cusecs was directed from Mayanur towards the Upper Anicut.
The water arrived in Mukkombu around 6 AM on Friday. Officials reported that approximately 777 cusecs of water were available at the dam, primarily for drinking water needs. However, only about 1,500 cusecs of the 2,050 cusecs released from Mayanur reached the Upper Anicut.
Hoping for gradual improvement in water flow, officials directed the available 1,500 cusecs towards the Grand Anicut or Kallannai in the Cauvery River. Water is expected to reach Kallannai by Saturday, and officials may begin releasing it into irrigation systems by Sunday. However, irrigation experts have warned that the current flow is far below the necessary levels for effective irrigation in the delta region. They noted that more than 16,000 cusecs is required to operate the irrigation network adequately.
At the current water level, the flow is mostly limited to the main river channel, which may prevent sufficient water from reaching the tributary rivers and irrigation canals that serve agricultural areas.
Farmers are already calling for more water to be released into the irrigation canals. Experts caution that if there is no significant increase in water discharge in the coming days, the existing flow is unlikely to provide much relief to farmers waiting for water for their crops.
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