Water was released from the Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district after the reservoir reached the required 90-foot level, bringing relief to farmers in the Cauvery Delta region.
The release had been delayed by nearly 80 days from the customary June 12 schedule because of inadequate rainfall and delayed inflows. The water is expected to support irrigation for kuruvai, samba and thalaidi crops across the delta region.
The Tamil Nadu government has planned to release water for 45 days, subject to the reservoir’s storage levels and continued inflows.
However, the move has not ended concerns over Tamil Nadu’s long-term water security. Agriculture in the Cauvery Delta remains dependent on adequate southwest monsoon rainfall and regular water releases from upstream Karnataka.
The Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka continues to remain a major inter-state issue. The proposed Mekedatu dam project in Karnataka has added another layer to the disagreement, with Tamil Nadu opposing the project and the matter remaining part of the broader legal dispute before the Supreme Court.
For delta farmers, the opening of the Mettur Dam provides immediate irrigation support, but sustained water availability will depend on rainfall, reservoir inflows and developments in the long-running Cauvery dispute.
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