Mettur Dam reaches full reservoir level on the last day of 2024
The dam was filled up for the third time in 2024. The first and second instances were on July 30 and August 12.
Minister for Tourism R Rajendran turns on the motors at Thippampatti pumping station on Wednesday
COIMBATORE: The storage level in the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur reached its full reservoir level (FRL) of 120 feet on Tuesday at 10 pm.
“Storage level in the dam shot up gradually from 119.98 feet at 8 pm to reach FRL at 10 pm. As the dam reached its FRL, the surplus water was diverted to fill water bodies in the Sarabanga basin on Wednesday. The discharge from the dam for delta irrigation was increased from 500 cusecs to 1,000 cusecs at 11 pm, while 300 cusecs of water was released for canal irrigation,” said an official.
Because of poor inflow, the dam took more than ten days to reach its FRL after touching 119 feet. On Wednesday, 8 am, the inflow into the dam reduced to 1,791 cusecs from 2,875 cusecs on Tuesday. The opening of the dam for delta irrigation missed its customary date of June 12 due to poor storage position, and its sluices were opened late on July 28.
The dam was filled up for the third time in 2024. The first and second instances were on July 30 and August 12. Similarly, in 2022, the storage level reached 120 feet thrice.
Minister for Tourism R Rajendran, in the presence of Salem MP TM Selvaganapathy, Mettur MLA S Sadhasivam and District Collector R Brindha Devi, turned on the motors at the Thippampatti pumping station to fill the dry water bodies under the Mettur-Sarabanga lift irrigation project.
The Rs 673.88 crore project envisages the filling up of 100 lakes. So far, 75 per cent of works have been completed, and surplus water can be diverted to 55 lakes in the Sarabanga basin.