Poor storage in the Mettur Stanley Reservoir has raised doubts whether water would be released for farming in the delta region on the customary date of June 12 this year.
The level in the dam stood at 47.20 feet on Sunday against its full level of 120 feet. The storage was 16.094 tmc ft against its full capacity of 93.470 tmc ft. The inflow in the dam was 106 cusecs and about 500 cusecs of water is being released into the Cauvery for drinking purposes.
Owing to poor rainfall in the catchment areas, the dam has not received much water for the past couple of months.
Technically, the dam can be opened for prolonged supply only when the level is at least 79 feet and the storage is 40 tmc ft. The dam is also dependent on the combined storage position in Karnataka reservoirs.
The Meteorological Department is expecting Southwest monsoon to set in during June first week. Farmers are hopeful of good rainfall and increased flow into the dam. But if the Southwest monsoon sets in by June first week, it will take time for water to reach Mettur.
Farmers of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchi, Karur, Pudukottai, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Perambalur etc will be in need of about 330 tmc ft of water for raising Kuruvai, Samba, Thaladi in about 16 lakh acres. Usually water release continues till January 28 next year.
The Public Works Department sources are of the view that since only 20 days are left, the possibility of water release for the kuruvai season on June 12 is remote.
Water was not released on the customary date for 56 times in the 83-year history of the dam. Only on 15 occasions, water was released on the scheduled date. At least on eleven occasions, water was released in advance, thanks to the satisfactory storage, the official sources said.
During the last farm season, water was released only on August 9 when the dam had comfortable storage. But the midway during the Samba and Thaladi, the level depleted fast causing anxiety to farmers.
However, the catchment areas received continuous rainfall in October and November, which led to heavy realisation of water. When the government decided to close the dam on the customary date of January 28, the farmers sent an SOS to the Chief Minister pleading for continuing release of water in view of delayed farming in parts of Cauvery delta.
The government ordered the release of water for one more month and closed the shutters on February 25.
