Tamil Nadu chief minister opens Mettur dam to supply Cauvery water to delta farms
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay ordered the Mettur dam gates opened, releasing Cauvery water for irrigation in the delta after a rain-shortened delay.
Tamil Nadu’s chief minister, C Joseph Vijay, inaugurated the opening of the Mettur dam’s sluice gates on Tuesday, permitting Cauvery water to reach the delta’s irrigation network. Traditionally the gates are opened on June 12 to enable cultivation of the kuruvai paddy variety, but this year the schedule slipped due to poor rainfall and depleted reservoir storage. The release from the Stanley Reservoir aims to supply water to the delta districts that depend on the Cauvery for farming.
The move follows a legal dispute with Karnataka, which told the court it is already discharging more than the mandated volume. Karnataka’s stance contrasts with Tamil Nadu’s request for a court directive to clear the backlog of releases by September 15. The water flow is expected to support local farmers ahead of the upcoming planting season. The event underscores the seasonal importance of inter-state water management in the region.
Why it matters
Farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery Delta rely on the dam’s water release for their rice crop, affecting regional food supply and livelihoods.
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