‘Cauvery our legal right’: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay opens Mettur dam for Samba rice cultivation, drinking water needs

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay opened the Mettur Dam to release water for drinking purposes and to support Samba rice cultivation in the Cauvery Delta on Tuesday amid the ongoing dispute with Karnataka over Cauvery river water. CM Vijay assured that the Cauvery river's water, a subject of long-standing contention, is Tamil Nadu’s "legal right" guaranteed by both the Cauvery Tribunal's final award and the Supreme Court's judgment of February 16, 2018.

He vowed that his government would not relent from securing its rightful share of the river’s water. The Supreme Court had earlier directed Karnataka to adhere to the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA) release instructions, while waiting a week to confirm whether the state continued to honor the water-sharing order. Vijay’s administration assured that each cubic foot of water released from the Mettur Dam would be used for the benefit of farmers, and unauthorized water extraction, including electric pumping, would be strictly prohibited.

Action would also be taken against those exceeding their authorized water pumping quota. Presently, the Mettur Dam holds 54.452 TMC of water, with a storage level of 91.56 feet and an inflow of 10,857 cusecs. The government will monitor the dam's storage and inflow, releasing water in phases according to irrigation needs. Departments of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, Water Resources, and Revenue and Disaster Management, along with police and TANGEDCO, have been instructed to work together for efficient water supply management.

The government is also pursuing legal and administrative actions to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery water share and protect the interests of delta farmers. The release of water is a calculated move to utilize limited water efficiently in the wake of a deficient South-West monsoon and El Nino's harsh impact, while supporting Samba cultivation.

Farmers have been advised to cultivate medium-duration paddy varieties requiring less water and practice water-conserving methods such as direct sowing. CM Vijay urged all to use water economically, share it till the last field, and ensure Samba cultivation’s success.