Water release from Mettur dam for irrigation suspended after about 50 days

The authorities have stopped water release from the Mettur dam for irrigation in the Cauvery delta, after providing water for about 50 days. A perusal of the discharge figures reveals that since October 18, the authorities began gradually reducing the quantum of water release.

It was about 8,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) that day. Three days later, the discharge was lowered to around 6,000 cusecs and on October 22, it was down to about 3,600 cusecs. Four days later, on Monday, the discharge was nearly 1,000 cusecs., which was meant for drinking water requirements and environmental flows.

On September 1, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay formally commenced the water release and the government had stated even then that in view of poor realisation of the State’s share of the Cauvery water, the release would be done only for 45 days.

Acknowledging the suspension of the release, an official said the idea was to build a comfortable storage at the dam before deciding to resume the release. On Monday, the storage in Mettur dam was 20.846 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft), with the water level remaining at 54.6 ft.

The details of the dam’s capacity and full level are 93.47 tmcft and 120 ft. As on October 22, the realisation of Cauvery water by the State was about 50.6 tmcft since June 1. For the current month alone, it was about 6.4 tmcft.

Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran criticised the State government for not having taken steps expeditiously in filling the post of Vice-Chairman of the Cauvery Technical Cell, the unit of the Water Resources Department handling all the inter-State river water issues.

The post had remained vacant since the resignation of the previous incumbent in late June. Only on October 9 did the government issued an order to fill the post, they pointed out. They wanted the government to appoint someone to the post immediately.