Chennai, May 25 (IANS) The water level in the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) Reservoir in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district has been rising rapidly due to intense rainfall in the catchment areas, particularly in the Nilgiris district, officials from the Water Resources Department (WRD) confirmed on Sunday.

According to WRD officials, the inflow into the reservoir picked up significantly after midnight on Saturday. By 8 a.m. on Sunday, the inflow had reached 4,792 cubic feet per second (cusecs), pushing the water level to 70.38 feet.

The total storage in the reservoir stood at 11.11 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet of water, they added.

The LBP dam, constructed across the Bhavani River at Bhavanisagar, plays a crucial role in meeting the irrigation needs of farmers in Erode and parts of Tiruppur and Karur districts. Every year, over three lakh acres of farmland in the Erode district alone benefit from the water stored in the dam.

During the ongoing summer season, the water level in the reservoir had plummeted, forcing authorities to restrict water release. Until Saturday, only 100 cusecs were being released, primarily to meet the drinking water requirements of Sathyamangalam, Gobichettipalayam, and Bhavani taluks.

Officials said the water level, which stood at 70.08 feet as of 10 p.m. on Saturday, is now gradually increasing.

The full reservoir level is 105 feet, while the dam has a total storage capacity of 32.8 tmc feet.

On Saturday midnight, the inflow rose to 1,887 cusecs, before surging further to nearly 4,800 cusecs by Sunday morning.

“We expect the inflow to increase further on Sunday and Monday, considering the heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts,” said a senior WRD official.

Farmers across the region, particularly those depending upon the LBP canal system and associated water bodies such as Kalingarayan, Thadepalli, and Arakkankottai, welcomed the development with relief and optimism.

Many expressed hope that the rising water levels would soon allow for irrigation releases, which would help them prepare for the upcoming cultivation season.

The WRD is closely monitoring the situation and said any further increase in inflow would be carefully managed to ensure safety while maximising water availability for agricultural needs.

–IANS

aal/dpb