Water from Mullaiperiyar Dam released for farming

He held poojas before opening the shutters for releasing the water for irrigation at a function on Monday. As the waters gushed out of the dam, the deputy Chief Minister offered flowers as a tribute. 

The sluices were opened in the presence of Theni collector, N Venkatachalam, and other officials. 

The Mullaiperiyar dam plays a pivotal role in providing water for irrigating lands at Cumbum valley. If the monsoon had arrived on time this year, the dam would have been opened on June 1, as was the usual practice. 

However, due to the lull, it was opened only now.  

Sources said that 200 cusecs of water would be released for 120 days and it would benefit 14,707 acres of land at the Cumbum valley. If the waters had been released on June 1, farmers would have carried out regular paddy farming. But now as it is late September, they are able to take up only short-term paddy, said sources. 

As the monsoon picked up only in the  later part of August and September, the dam reached 120 feet and on Monday, it touched 127.1 feet. The farming community, therefore made a demand for the release of  water. Based on their request, the public works department reviewed the water level and decided to release water for Cumbum valley in the first phase. 

Theni district administration had also sent their recommendation. Based on it, the water release was scheduled for Monday. Prior to the Southwest monsoon, the water level in the dam was below 110 feet this year. 

It was one of the lowest in the recent years. As a result, the dam water was used only meeting the drinking water requirement of the people. 

This also affected large stretches of areas in the Cumbum Valley which were kept uncultivated for the last two seasons.