Storage dips to alarming level in west TN dams

The Sholayar dam, second deepest facility in Asia, has reduced to a mere cesspool. The dam, a vital water body under the Parambikulam Aliyar project, is left with 3 feet storage as against its full capacity of 120 feet. 

Situated on the foot of Anaimalai Hills near Valparai, the dam has gone dry for the second consecutive year in the last 25 years, said officials. 

On the same day (Tuesday) last year, the dam had 4.16 feet storage, while its level stood at 31.59 feet in 2016. “Never in the past 25 years, have I seen the dam go dry like this, during summer. Poor rains for the past three years, is the cause for the dip in the storage to this level,” said an official from the engineering department of the dam. 

Due to this, the hydro-electric generation has also come to a halt. “About 70 mw of hydro power generation has been affected since December last due to lack of water in the dam. Drying up of the dam has also resulted in most of the rivers in Valparai, without water,” the official added.  

Similar conditions prevail in Mettur dam, which holds 41.15 feet as against its full capacity of 120 feet. Around 16.05 lakh acres of farmland in Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchy, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam are dependent on this dam for irrigation. 

With a failed monsoon and Karnataka refusing to release water as per Supreme Court order, the water level in the dam will be sufficient only till May end. 

“The dam witnesses an inflow of 69 cubic feet and discharge of 500 cubic feet. With the arrival of peak summer, and the present dry spell, the level in the reservoirs are likely to go down further in the coming days,” said an official. 

However, the Bhavanisagar dam in Erode district has a comfortable 50.41 feet against its full level of 105 feet. Levels in many other smaller dams have also reached abysmally low levels raising concern among the farming community.