Chennai, Sep 6 — Water released from the Mettur Dam has reached the historic Kallanai in Tiruchi district, paving the way for its discharge into the Cauvery delta irrigation network on Sunday morning.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay opened the Mettur dam on September 1 to supply water to the Cauvery-irrigated regions. The initial release of 5,000 cubic feet per second was subsequently increased to 7,000 cusecs as officials monitored inflow and requirements of farmers in the delta districts.
The released water crossed the Mukkombu regulator in Tiruchi district before reaching Kallanai on Saturday morning. However, because the volume arriving at the barrage remained relatively low, the structure had not filled completely by evening.
Water had accumulated near the sluice gates leading to the Cauvery, Vennar and Kollidam rivers.
Officials said water would be released from Kallanai on Sunday for delta irrigation. The discharge is expected to benefit agricultural areas served by the network of rivers and channels branching from the ancient barrage, a crucial distribution point in Tamil Nadu's Cauvery system.
Six ministers -- Anand, Vinoth, Ramesh, Shahjahan, Mohamad Parvez and Rajkumar -- are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony. MLA Vijay Saravanan, Thanjavur District Collector Revathi, Water Resources Department Chief Engineer Jayakumari and Monitoring Engineer Dileepan will also participate, along with Members of Parliament and other legislators.
The ceremony will be held in a festive atmosphere. Ministers and senior guests will be escorted from the palace area to the barrage with drums and traditional percussion instruments as part of the customary Kallanai celebrations. Special prayers have also been conducted at the Anjaneyar temple on the banks of the Kollidam and at the Vinayakar and Karuppannasamy temples ahead of the release.
According to figures available on Saturday evening, the water level in the Mettur reservoir stood at 92.25 feet. The dam was receiving an inflow of 8,075 cusecs, while 7,000 cusecs were being discharged.
Farmers across the delta will closely watch the flow over the coming days, as the timely movement and regulated distribution of Cauvery water are critical for standing crops and seasonal cultivation in Thanjavur and neighbouring delta districts.
Water Resources Department officials are expected to adjust releases in accordance with reservoir inflows, field requirements and conditions across the canal system.