Cauvery panel to inspect Mettur, Bhavani dams today

The team headed by G.S. Jha, Chairman of Central Water Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, will first visit Mettur dam to inspect the water level in the dam. PWD sources added that the committee members will go to the Bhavanisagar dam on the same day. 

On the second day (October 10), the committee will visit the delta districts like Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam to assess the ongoing Samba cultivation and the ground reality. The committee should submit its reports to the Court by October 17. 

Speaking to DTNext, a senior engineer at Mettur dam said “The committee consisting nine members will reach Salem on Saturday night and visit Mettur dam between 10 am to 11 am.” When asked, who would accompany the team from Tamil Nadu, the official replied that they had not received such information. Another engineer from the delta region said that the team would conduct field visits in the Samba cultivating areas to assess the need of water to save the crops. Further, they may have interaction with the farmers. 

Earlier the team visited the dams across the Cauvery in Karnataka on October 7 and 8. 

On Saturday the PMK led by its founder Dr S Ramadoss staged a protest demonstration in Chennai condemning the Union government for its failure to constitute the CMB.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress announced that it would observe a fast against the Centre on October 15 at Tiruchy, while the BJP, would be leading a delegation, comprising senior leaders, to New Delhi on Sunday to meet Party Chief Amit Shah to press for the formation of the CMB.

It may be noted that water from Mettur dam was released on September 20 for Samba crops, as Karnataka released water from KSR and Kabini. However, the Karnataka decided to stop release of water later stating poor rainfalls, besides Supreme Court direction to release water making the inflow into Tamil Nadu dams to steadily decline.