Chennai, June 6 (IANS) The customary release of water from the Mettur Dam on June 12 for paddy cultivation in Tamil Nadu is unlikely this year, with reservoir storage remaining below half of its total capacity and officials closely monitoring inflows before taking a final decision.

With less than a week left before the scheduled opening, uncertainty looms over farmers across the Cauvery Delta, who depend on the annual release to begin cultivation activities for the Kuruvai season.

Officials said the possibility of opening the dam on time now hinges largely on substantial rainfall in the Cauvery catchment areas and a corresponding increase in inflows over the coming days.

As of Thursday, the water level in the Mettur Dam stood at 79.86 feet, while storage was recorded at 41.81 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), less than 50 per cent of the reservoir’s full capacity of 93.45 TMC.

Officials indicated that the existing storage level may not be adequate to support a scheduled release on June 12 unless weather conditions improve significantly.

The annual opening of the Mettur Dam is a crucial event for agriculture in Tamil Nadu. Water released from the reservoir irrigates nearly 16 lakh acres of farmland spread across 12 districts, including Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai and Perambalur.

The release is particularly important for farmers cultivating Kuruvai, Samba and Thaladi crops. Any delay in opening the dam can disrupt sowing schedules, especially for the short-duration Kuruvai crop, which relies heavily on timely water availability during the early stages of cultivation.

The timing of water release from the Mettur Dam has varied considerably in recent years, depending on reservoir levels and inflows. In 2022, favourable storage conditions enabled authorities to release water ahead of schedule in May. However, poor storage forced a delay until July 2024. During the other three years, the reservoir was opened on the traditional date of June 12.

With the southwest monsoon gradually advancing and rainfall activity expected to increase in parts of southern India, Delta farmers are hoping for a significant rise in inflows into the reservoir.

Officials said the government would take a final call on the release after assessing storage levels, rainfall patterns and inflow trends in the coming days.

–IANS

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