CHENNAI: Salem District Collector R Brindha Devi inaugurated the irrigation of dry lakes through the Mettur-Sarabanga scheme on Wednesday, as reported by Thanthi TV.

The Sarabanga Lift Irrigation Scheme commenced as 1.25 lakh cubic feet of water per second was released from the Mettur dam today at 8 am.

Former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had launched the Rs 565 crore lift irrigation scheme in 2021 to fill 100 waterbodies in the Sarabanga sub-basin in Salem district with the surplus water released from the Mettur dam. 33 tanks in Edappadi, the AIADMK chief's home turf, would be filled, too.

As the Mettur dam has reached its full reservoir level (FRL) of 120 feet the excess water is now being released and is intended to benefit both agriculture and groundwater levels in the dry region.

A burst of monsoon in the catchment areas of the Cauvery River and its tributaries in Kerala and Karnataka saw the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur reaching the brim after a gap of 18 months, forcing the authorities to divert the surplus water downstream.