A view of the Stanley Reservoir in the Salem district, until January 26, from the Mettur Dam 221 tmc ft of water was discharged for delta irrigation in Tamil Nadu.
| Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E.
The water discharged from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur for delta irrigation will be stopped on Wednesday (January 28, 2026).
Every year, based on the availability of water in the Mettur Dam, water would be discharged for delta irrigation from June 12, and it will be continued till January 28 for 230 days. In the history of Mettur Dam, water has been discharged from the dam for delta irrigation on June 12 for 20 times (including in 2025). The dam has opened 61 times after June 12, and 11 times before June 12. For canal irrigation, water is usually discharged from August 1 to December 15 for 137 days. Based on availability, it will be opened before August 1 or later.
On June 12, 2025, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin opened water from the dam for delta irrigation. For canal irrigation, water was opened from the dam from July 1, 2025, due to water availability and it continued till January 15, 2026.
Officials attached to the Water Resources Department said that on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m., water discharge from the dam for delta irrigation will be stopped after 230 days. For delta irrigation, from June 12, 2025, to January 26, 2026, a total of 221 tmc ft of water was discharged and 309 tmc ft of water was received.
For canal irrigation, usually 9.35 tmc ft of water will be discharged for 137 days. But this year (July 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026), 8.06 tmc ft of water was discharged in 198 days. Due to adequate rain, water discharge for canal irrigation was later reduced. This year (June 12, 2025, to January 26, 2026) the dam attained its full capacity of 120 feet seven times. From the evening of January 28, water will be discharged for drinking water schemes between 500 cusecs and 1,500 cusecs based on demand, officials added.
On Tuesday (January 27, 2026), the dam’s water level stood at 93.18 feet against its full capacity of 120 feet. The storage level stood at 56.36 tmc ft against its full capacity of 93.47 tmc ft. Inflow into the dam reduced to 26 cusecs from Monday’s (January 26, 2026) inflow of 47 cusecs. The amount of water discharged from the dam into River Cauvery for delta irrigation reduced to 5,000 cusecs from 6,000 cusecs.
Published – January 27, 2026 07:58 pm IST
