Chennai, Aug 11 — The inflow into the Mettur dam increased to 7,151 cusecs on Tuesday, up from 5,760 cusecs, as water released from reservoirs in Karnataka continued to flow into Tamil Nadu through the Cauvery River.
The increase comes amid fluctuations in water releases from Karnataka following changes in rainfall and reservoir inflows across the Cauvery catchment areas. The southwest monsoon had intensified over parts of Karnataka in recent days, bringing substantial rainfall to the catchment areas and increasing inflows into major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin.
With water levels rising, Karnataka began releasing water from the Kabini reservoir into the Cauvery from August 1. The quantity of water discharged from Kabini has since been adjusted depending on inflows into the reservoir. At one stage, the release from Kabini was increased to around 27,000 cusecs following heavy inflows caused by rainfall in the catchment areas.
Water was also released from the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir, with around 1,000 cusecs being discharged towards Tamil Nadu, adding to the flow in the Cauvery.
However, rainfall subsequently weakened in the catchment areas, resulting in a decline in inflows into Karnataka’s reservoirs. The authorities consequently began reducing the quantum of water released downstream.
Despite the lower discharge from Karnataka, water already released from the reservoirs has continued to travel downstream and enter Tamil Nadu through Hogenakkal.
According to readings recorded on Tuesday morning, the inflow at Hogenakkal rose from 5,760 cusecs to 7,151 cusecs. The increased flow is expected to support the water position downstream as it reaches the Mettur reservoir in Salem district.
Meanwhile, around 1,500 cusecs of water is being released from the Mettur dam to meet drinking water requirements in downstream areas. The Mettur dam is crucial to Tamil Nadu’s water management system, particularly for irrigation in the Cauvery delta districts.
Its storage and inflow levels are closely monitored during the southwest monsoon as releases from Karnataka and rainfall in the catchment areas determine water availability for agricultural and drinking water needs.
Officials are expected to continue monitoring rainfall and reservoir releases in Karnataka as well as the flow reaching Hogenakkal and Mettur over the coming days.