MADURAI: Water was released from Mullaiperiyar dam for irrigation and drinking water purposes in Theni district on Saturday.

The doors of the dam, situated in Idukki district, Kerala, were opened as per the Government Order to benefit the farmers and people of the district.

PWD officials led by N Anbuselva, Executive Engineer, Periyar Vaigai Basin Division, WRO, Madurai released 300 cusecs of water.

While 200 cusecs of water are meant for crop irrigation, 100 cusecs of water are for drinking purposes.

The release of water would benefit farmers relying on double-crop areas in Cumbum Valley, it was said. It would benefit a total of 14,707 acres of land for the first crop in ayacut areas.

Depending on the storage level, the water release would be continued for a period of 120 days.

Farmers were advised to go for short-duration crop varieties and use water judiciously to achieve maximum yield.

Assistant Executive Engineer Mayivaganan, Assistant Engineers Prem Rajkumar, Praveen Kumar, and representatives of farmers’ associations took part.

Pon Katchikannan, president, Periyar-Vaigai Irrigation Farmers Association, welcoming the water release, which is on for the fourth consecutive year, said Chief Minister MK Stalin should continue to do so. “It would benefit paddy farmers to a large extent and the groundwater table would be increased,” he said.