Mettur dam closes at 107 ft, good kuruvai expected

It is customary to release water from Mettur on June 12 for kuruvai cultivation for the Cauvery Delta region and would be closed on January 28. However due to poor storage, the water release from the Mettur was delayed last year that resulted in the failure of kuruvai cultivation for the seventh consecutive year.

Meanwhile, the water was released from Mettur on August 13, 2019, for cultivation of samba and thaladi when the water level stood at 111.98 feet and the storage was 81.25 tmc. The water reached the Grand Anicut (Kallanai) on August 17 and was released for the cultivation on the same day for the samba and thaladi cultivation.

With the water from Mettur, the samba and thaladi was taken up in an area of 11 lakh acre in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts and they are being harvested. The farmers expressed satisfaction over the good yield.

In such a backdrop, the Mettur level on Monday stood at 107.63 feet and the storage was 75.08 tmc while the inflow was recorded at 333 cusecs and outflow was 2,000 cusecs.

Farmers expressed satisfaction over the water level which stood over 107 feet on the scheduled closing day of January 28.  “Even if the water level stands at more than 100 feet, it would be beneficial to the Delta farmers as they could get water promptly on the customary date of June 12 for kuruvai cultivation,” said farmer leader V Subramanaian from Thanjavur.

He said that the water level stood over 100 feet previously on the closing date was in 2011 when the Mettur dam was shut with water level at 109.39 feet. This would, however, be beneficial to the farmers to take up kuruvai in 2020-21.

“Previously, whenever, the water level stood at more than 100 feet, the Mettur was opened for kuruvai cultivation on the scheduled date of June 12 and so we feel excited and hopeful of having prompt water release for taking up kuruvai in the upcoming season,” Subramanian said.

The farmers in the region recall that only 25 times in the history, the water was released from Mettur on the customary date of June 12. This historical event would take place during the upcoming season also.