Chennai, June 26 (IANS) In a major development for Tamil Nadu’s irrigation prospects, the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur is expected to reach its full reservoir level of 120 feet within a week, for the first time this year. This comes as Karnataka began discharging 50,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam into the Cauvery River on Wednesday, following intense rainfall in the catchment areas.

According to Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department officials, the inflow from Karnataka is likely to reach the Mettur dam by Thursday evening.

As of Wednesday, the water level at the Stanley Reservoir stood at 112.85 feet — just 7 feet below its full capacity.

Karnataka’s Water Resources Department issued a flood alert to areas along the Cauvery River, cautioning residents and local administrations about potential surges in water levels.

Officials in the neighbouring state indicated that the release from KRS might be increased further depending on continued rainfall in the region.

The catchment areas of the KRS dam in Karnataka and the Kabini dam in Kerala have been receiving consistent and intense showers over the past several days.

Karnataka officials anticipate the southwest monsoon to intensify in early July, potentially boosting reservoir levels even further.

On Wednesday, the KRS dam was recorded at 120 feet against its full level of 124.8 feet. The dam currently holds 49.45 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet of water.

The Kabini dam is also witnessing a rapid rise, with the water level reaching 59.21 feet against its full capacity of 65 feet.

The Kabini dam has been releasing about 12,000 cusecs of water, which is expected to join the Cauvery river system and reach Mettur within the next two days.

Officials in Tamil Nadu are closely monitoring the inflow and have begun preparations to manage the water judiciously for irrigation, drinking water supply, and flood control.

With further rainfall forecasted, the state is optimistic that the upcoming monsoon period will provide much-needed relief to farmers and ensure adequate water storage heading into the dry season.

–IANS

aal/rad