Mettur dam to be opened for delta irrigation on Oct 2

On September 28, the Mettur Dam had a storage of 88.29 feet while the inflow was presently kept at 47,235 cusec. The state has also so far received 533.4 mm of rainfall this year against the normal annual rainfall of 480.5 mm during the South West monsoon. 

“Considering the current water level at the Mettur dam and quantity of water to be released by Karnataka (as per the guidelines of the Cauvery Management Board) and expecting normal rainfall during the NE Monsoon, I am ordering the Mettur dam to be opened for Samba cultivation from October 2,” the Chief Minister said. 

The Chief Minister also said, considering the rainfall and water level this year, the government will implement the Samba Package Scheme at an expense of Rs 41.5 crore in the Delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam besides Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur, Tiruchy and Karur districts for the benefit of farmers in these areas, the release added. The Chief Minister pointed out that considering the scant rainfall across the state last year, the state was unable to release water for Kuruvai on June 12 this year. 

To help farmers overcome this, the state had announced a Special Kuruvai Package Scheme in June. As a result of this scheme, delta farmers could cultivate paddy and other crops in 3.43 lakh acres, according to the release.