Edappadi Palaniswami urges Tamil Nadu government to reopen Mettur dam to save standing crop in delta districts

Edappadi Palaniswami calls for reopening Mettur Dam to save delta farmers' crops amid water supply issues.

The Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, on Sunday (February 8, 2026), urged the Tamil Nadu government to reopen the Mettur dam to save the standing paddy crop in different parts of the delta districts.

Visiting the standing paddy crop raised on a few fields at Vannarapettai on Thanjavur and Tiruvaiyaru Bypass Road after attending the wedding ceremony of a party functionary at Tiruvaiyauru, he said the crop were yet to reach the harvest stage. They were withering in a few areas due to a short supply of water for irrigation. Farmers had told him they would require water for at least 20 days. Otherwise, the money and hard work spent by the farmers on raising the crop would become waste. Hence, the State government should reopen the Stanley reservoir for at least 20 days to save the crop, Mr. Palaniswami added.

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Release of water for irrigation from Mettur Dam was stopped on the usual date of January 28. The dam was opened on the customary date of June 12, 2025 for the irrigation season. Currently, about 2,000 cusecs is released from the dam for drinking water purposes. Demanding release of water, farmers have been indulging in sporadic protests in different areas.