Vijay opens Mettur dam after 80-day ‘delay’. Question is, for how long?

On Tuesday, after an 80-day delay, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay opened the sluice gates of the Mettur dam, releasing the first water from the Stanley Reservoir to the Cauvery delta. This annual event, which marks the start of the agricultural season for farmers, saw the release of 3,000 cusecs of water, which was to be gradually increased to 7,000 cusecs by Tuesday evening.

The government had planned the release for only 45 days, until October 15, with the discharge to be regulated based on water availability and irrigation requirements. As of 8 am, the reservoir stood at 91.56 feet, with a storage of 54.45 thousand million cubic feet, just over half of its capacity of 93.47 tmc ft. The delay in the opening of the dam was attributed to inadequate storage, which prevented the customary June release and pushed it to September 1.

This is the fourth time the release has begun in September since the dam's construction in 1934. Farmers met Vijay at Mettur and urged him to extend the release beyond the initially announced 45 days, while also seeking measures to divert surplus Mettur water to water bodies in the Thalaivasal region. The government emphasized that the release would be closely monitored, and joint teams of officials would be deployed to prevent illegal pumping and unauthorised extraction.

Farmers were advised to use medium-duration paddy varieties and water-saving techniques to cope with the water scarcity. The situation was attributed to the southwest monsoon deficit and the impact of El Niño. The opening of the Mettur dam is of significant political and agricultural importance, as it sustains agriculture across the Cauvery delta, benefiting about 16.05 lakh acres in 12 districts.