Cauvery water released from Mettur dam reaches Mukkombu, farmers hopeful of a good crop

Cauvery water released from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur for irrigation reached Mukkombu (Upper Anicut) on the outskirts of Tiruchi on Saturday.

Cauvery water released from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur for irrigation reached Mukkombu (Upper Anicut) on the outskirts of Tiruchi on Saturday.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who opened the Mettur dam on Thursday, is scheduled to release water from Kallanai on Sunday for irrigation in the core delta region.

According to Water Resources Department (WRD) sources, the water reached Mukkombu around 2 p.m. It crossed Kariyamanickam village by 3 p.m. and Allur Pillaiyarkoil at 5 p.m. The quantum of water realised at Mukkombu stood at 1,500 cusecs. But it gradually went up in the evening. It is expected to reach the Kallanai on Sunday morning.

Farmers, onlookers, officials, and the villagers of Vathalai offered flowers and paddy seeds to the river when the water flowed past Mukkombu. Some of them performed puja to the river praying for a successful cultivation season.

Ayilai Sivasurian, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, who offered flowers to the river at Mukkombu, said he was happy about the opening of the Mettur dam on June 12, the customary date. Since the storage was good, it augured well for the kuruvai season, he said.

A senior official of the WRD told The Hindu that the water flowed quickly as expected as the river bed had a wetting thanks to the recent rains. The evaporation and wayside loss on the river course was not much due to rain in May.