Salem (TN): After over three months delay, water from the Mettur Dam was on Monday released for Samba paddy crop cultivation in Cauvery delta districts of Tamil Nadu.
Initially 4,000 cusecs was being discharged which would be doubled by tonight and gradually increased to 16,000 cusecs in coming days, officials said.
PWD Minister KV Ramalingam, who opened the shutters of the dam this noon, said water would be released till January 28 and appealed to the farmers to use it judiciously.
Normally, water from the over 75-year old dam would be released in June every year for short-term Kuruvai and subsequent long-term samba paddy crops, but delayed this year due to poor storage.
The water level in the dam today stood at 84.3 feet against its maximum of 120 feet. The inflow was 13,888 cusecs while the outflow 4,000 cusecs.
With the opening of the dam, power generation from the Mettur hydro electric station was expected to increase in coming days, officials added.
PTI
