Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Opens Mettur Dam for Cauvery Delta Irrigation

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay opened the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur on Tuesday to release Cauvery water for drinking needs and Samba rice cultivation across 12 delta districts. The release began with an initial discharge of 3,000 cusecs, which was planned to increase to 7,000 cusecs by Tuesday evening. The government has initially scheduled the release for 45 days until October 15, though the duration will be regulated based on water availability and irrigation requirements.

The opening was delayed by 80 days from the customary June 12 date due to a southwest monsoon deficit and the impact of El Nino. As of September 1, the reservoir level stood at 91.56 feet against its full capacity of 120 feet, with storage at approximately 54.45 thousand million cubic feet. This marks only the fourth time in the dam's history that a delta irrigation release has begun in September.

To manage the limited supply, the government has advised farmers to use medium duration paddy varieties and water saving techniques such as direct seeding. Joint teams from the Water Resources, Revenue, and Police departments will monitor the flow to prevent unauthorized water extraction. Farmers who met with the Chief Minister urged him to extend the release beyond the planned 45 days.

Center lean coverage focused on the agricultural significance of the event and the historical rarity of the delayed opening. Center right lean coverage emphasized the legal conflict with Karnataka, highlighting the Chief Minister's statement that the water is Tamil Nadu's legal right under the Cauvery Tribunal and Supreme Court rulings.