TN's Mettur dam sees sharp rise in water level, farmers cheer

Chennai, June 3 (IANS) The Stanley Reservoir in Mettur, popularly known as the Mettur Dam and a lifeline for millions in Tamil Nadu, has witnessed a remarkable increase in water levels this year, due to the sustained rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon.

As of June 2, the dam is holding 81,983 million cubic feet (mcft) of water -- 87.71 per cent of its full storage capacity of 93,470 mcft. This marks a significant improvement compared to the same period last year, when the storage level stood at only 15,632 mcft, which was a mere 16.72 per cent of its total capacity.

Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) described the current storage as among the highest in the past six years, second only to 2022 when the reservoir reached 89,431 mcft or 95.68 per cent of its capacity.

The WRD revealed that Tamil Nadu received 305 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of Cauvery water from Karnataka during the previous water year -- from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. This is 128 tmcft more than the 177 tmcft mandated by the Supreme Court, underscoring better water availability in the upstream reservoirs of Karnataka.

Chief Engineer R. Dhayalakumar of the WRD (Tiruchy division) confirmed the improved inflow from Karnataka’s major reservoirs -- Krishna Raja Sagar, Kabini, Harangi, and Hemavathy -- stating that they are significantly better filled than they were during the same period last year. “

The inflow into the Mettur Dam is 3,017 cusecs, and we are releasing 1,000 cusecs for drinking water purposes,” Dhayalakumar said.

He also confirmed that the dam’s shutters will be opened for irrigation on June 12 as scheduled, bringing relief to farmers dependent on Cauvery irrigation.

The WRD officials have begun flood preparedness measures in view of the rising water levels and the potential for heavy rain upstream. The dam has seen a steady rise in storage over the past month.

On May 1, the water level stood at 75,250 mcft (80.51 per cent of capacity).

Since then, the reservoir has gained 6,733 mcft, reaching 81,983 mcft -- marking a month of encouraging inflows and raising hopes for a robust agricultural season ahead. The farmers are happy with the situation and hope to get abundant water for farming.

--IANS

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