Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Vijay Opens Mettur Dam for Cauvery Delta Irrigation
Tamil Nadu opened Mettur Dam to send water to farmers in the Cauvery delta.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay opened the gates on Tuesday.
The water will help farmers grow paddy, or rice.
The planned release is expected to last for 45 days.
Rain in Karnataka increased the amount of water flowing into the dam.
Water from Karnataka’s Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar reservoirs helped raise the inflow.
Officials initially planned to release 3,000 cusecs and may change the amount later.
They will watch the water supply so it can reach farmers throughout the delta.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay opened Mettur Dam’s sluice gates on Tuesday for Cauvery delta irrigation.
The release is planned for 45 days and will support paddy cultivation across 12 to 13 delta districts.
Initial discharge was reported as 3,000 cusecs, with officials expected to increase it in phases based on demand and inflows.
Heavy rainfall in Karnataka increased releases from the Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar reservoirs, raising inflows into Mettur to 10,485 cusecs.
Reports gave differing September 1 storage figures: 91.56 feet in one account and 90.47 feet with 53.70 tmcft available storage in another.
- Who
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay opened the dam; state officials will regulate the release for delta farmers.
- What
- Mettur Dam’s sluice gates were opened to release Cauvery water for irrigation.
- When
- Tuesday; the planned irrigation release is scheduled to continue for 45 days from September 1.
- Where
- Mettur Dam in Salem, Tamil Nadu, supplying Cauvery delta districts.
- Why
- To support paddy cultivation and provide water to farmers, including those in tail-end areas.
Farmers’ Water Demands
Officials’ Water Management
Adequate and uninterrupted supply
Farmers’ Water Demands
Delta farmers, including those in tail-end areas, sought sufficient and uninterrupted water during the paddy-growing season.
Officials’ Water Management
Officials said they would regulate discharge according to reservoir storage, inflows from Karnataka and irrigation requirements.
Release timing
Farmers’ Water Demands
Farmers sought water after the customary June 12 opening was delayed because of poor rainfall and low storage.
Officials’ Water Management
The government deferred the customary opening and announced a September 1 release after inflows improved and storage crossed 90 feet.
- Planned duration
- The irrigation release is scheduled for 45 days.
- Initial discharge
- One report said water would initially be released at 3,000 cusecs.
- Current inflow
- Inflow into Mettur was reported to have risen from 9,035 to 10,485 cusecs.
- Reported water level
- One account reported 91.56 feet on September 1, while another reported 90.47 feet.
- Available storage
- One report recorded 53.70 thousand million cubic feet of available storage.
- Irrigation coverage
- The dam supports nearly 16 lakh acres across 13 districts, according to one report; another described water reaching about 12 districts.
- Upstream source
- Rainfall in Karnataka increased releases from the Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar reservoirs into the Cauvery.
- Existing drinking-water release
- A separate release of 2,000 cusecs was continuing for drinking-water requirements.
