Cauvery water may take 75 days to reach tail-end: PWD

In a statement, Bakthavathsalam, Chief Engineer (General), PWD, said that Cauvery River originates at Thalaicauvery in Karnataka and flows for 381 km in Karnataka and 30 km in the common border area between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where it enters Biligundulu. 

“Tamil Nadu gets Cauvery water from Krishnarajasagar and Kabini dams. From Biligundu the river travels for 65 km in three days to reach Mettur Dam. Nearly, 45,000 acres of land gets irrigated from the Cauvery water en route Mettur Dam,” said Bakthavathsalam. 

He also said that from Mettur Dam the water is opened in seven sluices to reach the first check dam at Jedarpalayam in Namakkal district situated at a distance of 81.7 km. Then it travels for another 135 km to reach Mayanur check dam in Karur and for the entire 216.7 km it takes 14 hours.

From Mayanur check dam the Cauvery water is opened for irrigation through branch canals. Later, the water travels for 177 km to reach Mukkombu in Tiruchy in 48 hours and from there it takes 12 hours to reach Kallanai Dam, explained Bakthavathsalam. 

“It takes three days for Cauvery water to reach Kallanai Dam from Mettur Dam. From Kallanai Dam, water is let into 19 canals in Namakkal, Karur and Tiruchy districts and water is distributed into Cauvery, Kallanai and Vennaru for cultivation in Delta districts,” said Bakthavathsalam.

He further said that the three major channels of Cauvery River such as Puthiya Kattalai, Uyyakondan and Pullampatti canals have a length of 134 km, 87 km and 90 km respectively. “Among them Puthiya Kattalai channel has small rocks and it will take 75 days for water to reach the tail-end areas.

On the way the water had to recharge 75 ponds. Similarly, Uyyakondan and Pullampatti channels had to fill 36 and 28 lakes, respectively, and water will take 60 and 45 days respectively to reach the tail-end areas,” said Bakthavathsalam.

He also added that despite the delay all steps are taken to ensure that the farm lands in tail-end areas get sufficient water. Farmers in tail-end areas had earlier protested that despite the flood in Cauvery river water had not reached them.