Mettur at dead storage worries PWD

Public Works Department (PWD) officials told reporters that the water level could touch the dead storage mark of 25 feet in a day and they would not be able to release water as there is a huge stock of slurry that has not been cleared since 1934. 

This is the first time over the last few decades the 82-year-old dam has touched the dead storage mark. With no water to meet the irrigation needs already due to the drought, release of water for drinking purposes too has become a big question. 

Inflow to the dam that was 15 cusecs on Sunday dropped below 14 cusecs on Monday, while the outflow to meet the drinking water needs was 500 cusecs. 

Stating that there could not be more than a couple of feet water, officials said that it is a big puddle that would not last long, as they said that the dam would have sediments for more than 20 feet. Meanwhile, over the last few days, Salem Corporation officials have resorted to using floating motors to draw drinking water for the city. Three floating motors have been in use as the existing sumps faced difficulty in drawing water due to the thick layer of sediments. 

Salem Corporation officials said that two floating motors with a capacity of 135 HP and 175 HP are pumping close to 11.3 crore litres of water a day for the city. This is in addition to the 500 cusecs of water released from the sluices of the dam. PWD officials are clueless on managing the water crisis till the onset of the monsoon.

A couple of months ago, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy directed the PWD to send a report to desilt the dam. Many political parties and organisations have been demanding the government to desilt the dam at the earliest to increase the storage capacity.