Mettur dam full, officials warn of rise in discharge
WRD issues flood-warning to 12 Collectors of the delta region; discharge may increase to 1.25 lakh cusecs, officials say, and request those living in the low-lying areas to move to safety
Mettur Dam
| Photo Credit: Lakshmi Narayanan E
Inflow into the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur stood at 54,459 cusecs, and the water in the dam reached the full reservoir level of 120 feet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
At 4 a.m., inflow reduced to 70,257 cusecs from Monday’s flow of 90,957 cusecs. At 8 a.m., it stood at 62,870 cusecs; and increased to 41,722 cusecs at 12 p.m.. At 4 p.m., it increased to 54,459 cusecs. Discharge from the dam increased to 46,000 cusecs from 23,000 cusecs when the water level in the dam stood at 120 feet.
Officials attached to the Water Resources Department (WRD) said the discharge increased to 81,500 cusecs before 8 p.m.
The WRD has issued a flood-warning message to 12 Collectors of the delta region. Officials warned that the discharge may increase to 1.25 lakh cusecs, and requested the people living on the river banks and low-lying areas to move to safety. Precautionary measures may be taken for the safety of the people and properties, the WRD said in its release.
Following the warning, boat service between Poolampatti and Nerinjipettai (connecting Salem and Erode districts) was halted, and tourists who visited Poolampatti had to return.
On Tuesday evening, Salem Collector R. Brindha Devi had released water from the Mettur Dam for canal irrigation.
WRD officials said that for the next 137 days, 1,000 cusecs of water would be discharged from the dam for canal irrigation, benefiting 45,000 acres of farmland in Salem, Namakkal, and Erode districts.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has issued orders to release water into the East and West bank canals of the dam. The decision followed representations from farmers to Salem MP T.M. Selvaganapathy and Salem North MLA R. Rajendran.
A release said water would be released into the East and West bank canals for 137 days till December 13 this year. This would benefit over 45,000 acres – 16,443 acres in Salem district; 17,230 acres in Erode district; and 11,327 acres in Namakkal district.
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