CHENNAI: Water levels in all major reservoirs across Erode district continued to decline, with the inflow into the Bhavanisagar dam dropping to just 76 cusecs on Monday.
The Bhavanisagar dam, a key irrigation source for farmers in Erode, Tirupur, and Karur districts, is witnessing a steady fall in storage levels, as water release continues to exceed inflow.
according to a Maalaimalar report, the water level in the dam stood at 54.86 feet on Monday morning. While the dam received an inflow of only 76 cusecs, a total of 520 cusecs was being released. Of the total discharge, 420 cusecs was released through the Thadapalli-Arakankottai canal for irrigation, while 100 cusecs was let into the Bhavani river for drinking water requirements.
Citing the poor storage in Bhavanisagar dam, the farmers depended on it had recently raised concerns about diverting water from there to the Athikadavu-Avinashi project.
Other reservoirs in the district also reported low storage levels. The water level in the Gunderipallam dam was recorded at 18.52 feet, while the Perumpallam dam stood at 21.68 feet. The Varattupallam dam recorded a water level of 15.49 feet.
The Bhavanisagar dam irrigates more than 2.47 lakh acres of farmland in Erode, Tirupur and Karur districts. Farmers have expressed concern over the declining storage levels and said adequate rainfall in the catchment areas is needed to improve inflow and support future irrigation requirements.