Mettur dam begins to flow for Samba crop, but ryots fear deficiency of 40 tmc

As the water started flowing, Minister for Highways and Minor Ports Edapadi Palanisamy, Electricity and Prohibition Minister P Thangamani, Social Welfare Minister V Saroja, Environment Minister KC Karuppannan and Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar showered rose and flower petals into the dam as has been the tradition. 

Water was first released from the upper sluice gates and then through the Hydro-electric station which has also enabled power production. 

Sources said that the discharge would be gradually stepped up and 12,000 cusec would start flowing out of the reservoir by 6 pm. 

PWD officials at the dam said that since water should reach the tail-end areas and expectations were running high among the samba farmers, the level would be maintained at 12,000 cusec. 

The storage level in the dam stood at 87.68 ft on Tuesday morning and the discharge would be maintained in accordance with the demand in the delta region, said an engineer. The inflow into the reservoir was 10,092 cusec. 

Meanwhile, farmers from Delta districts are of the view present share of water won’t be enough for the entire samba season and appeal to the government to promote compulsory crop insurance anticipating damage especially in the tail end areas. 

According to the farmers, at least 1.75 TMC water is needed each day for samba cultivation. 

“While 160 TMC water is required for the entire samba season, there will be a deficiency of at least 40 TMC despite the prediction of good rains during Northeast Monsoon rains, which is expected to fetch between 60 and 70 TMC water,” said Mannargudi S Ranganathan, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association. 

On the other hand, Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, secretary of Cauvery farmers Protection Association, has urged the central supervisory committee to look into the storage of water in all the water bodies in Karnataka.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday ordered release of water from Kothaiyaru dam for irrigation purposes from Wednesday. In a statement, she said It would benefit 17,000 acres of farm lands in Radhapuram locality.