Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Tamil Nadu To Release Mettur Water For Delta Irrigation
Tamil Nadu plans to release water from the Mettur reservoir on September 1.
The water will help farmers in the Cauvery delta grow crops.
Usually, this water is released on June 12, but the date was delayed this year.
Tamil Nadu said water from Karnataka was not coming in sufficiently.
Some recent rain helped raise the Mettur reservoir above 88 feet.
The reservoir can hold water up to 120 feet.
The release is planned to last 45 days, but it depends on water levels and drinking-water needs.
Officials hope farmers can grow Samba rice on about 4.35 lakh hectares.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will release water from Mettur’s Stanley Reservoir on September 1.
The release is planned for 45 days, subject to storage, inflows and drinking-water needs.
Mettur’s water level has risen above 88 feet, compared with its full level of 120 feet.
The traditional June 12 release was delayed after inadequate Cauvery inflows from Karnataka and a continuing legal dispute.
The release is expected to support Samba cultivation across 4.35 lakh hectares, while Kuruvai cultivation has reportedly fallen by about 42,000 hectares.
- Who
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will release the water, with Water Resources Minister N Anand announcing the plan; Cauvery delta farmers are the intended beneficiaries.
- What
- Water will be released from Mettur’s Stanley Reservoir for delta irrigation for up to 45 days, subject to available storage and inflows.
- When
- September 1; this is more than two and a half months after the traditional June 12 release date.
- Where
- The Stanley Reservoir at Mettur in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, serving the Cauvery delta.
- Why
- The government aims to support delta irrigation while maintaining drinking-water supplies, after delayed Cauvery inflows and improved Mettur storage.
Tamil Nadu’s Position
Karnataka’s Position
Cauvery water allocation
Tamil Nadu’s Position
Tamil Nadu said it pursued its share of Cauvery water through the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the Supreme Court, citing the tribunal award as upheld by the court.
Karnataka’s Position
Karnataka cited shortages even for its own needs and did not provide sufficient inflows when Tamil Nadu needed water for delta cultivation.
Timing and irrigation
Tamil Nadu’s Position
Tamil Nadu delayed the Mettur release because available water was limited, but now considers September 1 suitable for supporting Samba cultivation while protecting drinking-water supplies.
Karnataka’s Position
Kannada groups opposed releasing water to Tamil Nadu, and the dispute became acrimonious enough that Karnataka’s D K Shivakumar asked Vijay not to travel to Bengaluru for proposed talks.
- Release date
- September 1
- Reservoir
- Stanley Reservoir at Mettur
- Planned duration
- 45 days, subject to storage and inflows
- Mettur water level
- More than 88 feet
- Full reservoir level
- 120 feet
- Available water at start of irrigation year
- 41.223 TMC
- Planned Samba cultivation
- 4.35 lakh hectares
- Minimum storage requirement
- 10 TMC
