CM Vijay opens Mettur dam sluices; to benefit 16L acres in 13 delta districts

CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday opened the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur in Salem to release water for irrigation in the Cauvery delta districts.

Vijay, in the presence of his Cabinet colleagues, N Anand and A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban, turned on a button to open the sluice gates and showered flowers and grains on the gushing waters, marking the release of Cauvery water.

Dressed in a traditional shirt and veshti, the Chief Minister later visited a photo exhibition organised by the Water Resources Department showcasing the history of the Mettur dam. He also inspected the dam’s powerhouse.

As the Chief Minister, this was the first time Vijay opened the historic Mettur dam, the lifeline of farmers in the delta regions.

Water will be released for 45 days, until October 15, to support the samba paddy cultivation in the region. From an initial 3,000 cusecs, the water discharge will be gradually increased to 7,000 cusecs. The release is expected to benefit nearly 16 lakh acres across 13 delta districts.

As of 8 am on Tuesday, the reservoir’s water level stood at 91.56 feet, against its full reservoir level of 120 feet, with storage at 54.452 TMC. The inflow was 10,857 cusecs. In the dam’s 93-year history, this is the 62nd occasion on which water has been released for delta irrigation, after the customary date of June 12 because of inadequate storage.

In a statement, the State government said it was taking all legal and administrative measures to secure Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of Cauvery water from Karnataka. With the State experiencing a deficit southwest monsoon and the severe impact of El Niño, Water Resources Department officials urged farmers to adopt water-saving practices and ensure that it reaches tail-end areas.

Earlier, Vijay arrived in Salem from Chennai by special flight and travelled to Mettur by road. Large crowds gathered along the route to greet the Chief Minister.