Surplus water released from Mettur diverted into Kollidam

The Water Resources Department started diverting a portion of the surplus flow from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur into the Kollidam from Upper Anicut (Mukkombu) on Monday.

The discharge from the Mettur Reservoir came down to 48,000 cusecs on Monday evening. However, surplus water discharged from the Cauvery was gradually reaching the Upper Anicut on Monday evening.

According to WRD sources, about 30,000 cusecs of water was realised at Upper Anicut around 5 p.m. on Monday. Of this, about 5,000 cusecs was initially diverted into the Kollidam and 25,000 cusecs continued to flow in the Cauvery for irrigation in the delta. Later in the evening, the discharge into the Kollidam was increased to 10,000 cusecs. Sources said the diversion of surplus flow could be increased with the flow in the Cauvery being maintained at 25,000 cusecs.

Alert issued

Tiruchi Collector V. Saravanan issued an alert on Sunday asking people living along the river banks to exercise caution and desist from bathing or washing in the river. People were advised against allowing the livestock along or across the river as the discharge into the river may increase.

The surplus flow is timely and benefit farmers who had taken up kuruvai cultivation in the delta, especially in the tail-end areas as the WRD has stepped up the discharge to about 9,000 cusecs in the Vennar and the Cauvery from Kallanai.

“Nature has come to our aid and the surplus flow will come as a relief to farmers in the tail-end areas where the realisation was not very good over the past few days. Even though it will take about five days for the surplus discharges to reach the tail-end, it will be of great help to farmers,” said Cauvery Dhanapalan, president, Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangankalin Kootamaippu.

He welcomed the steps taken by WRD to fill irrigation tanks using the surplus water. He said the authorities should focus on filling as many tanks as possible. Besides, the shutters of sluices on water courses and waterbodies should be repaired wherever necessary on a war footing, he said.