Water levels in Tamil Nadu dams down by 40 per cent

Chennai: Water levels in Tamil Nadu dams have receded by over 40 per cent due to poor inflow and outflow is likely to be suspended by the first week of February, official sources said.

“Both Mettur and Bhavanisagar have storage of less than 40 per cent of water in the month of January and the outflow to all the major reservoirs have become meager. On Thursday, Mettur received an inflow of 36 cusecs against the outflow of 7000 cusecs thus making the total storage to 16.18 tmc feet against the total capacity of 93TMC,” the official said.

Similarly, the inflow into Bhavanisagar dam is below 400 cusecs making the total capacity below its half way mark. However the release of water for irrigation from Sholayar, Amaravathi and Manimuthar would continue at minor level to cater to the local farmers need in Coimbatore and Tuticorin, sources said. 

Two days back local administration minister S.P. Velumani also demanded the EB ministry to ensure periodic release of water from the dams maintained by the EB department generating hydro- power. 

It is the shortage of water that forced the two ministries to discuss about release of water.

“Paddy cultivation has picked up across the state and we have advised the farmers to look for alternate crops that require less water consumption,” said an official with state agriculture department admitting that the inflow of water has been receding to irrigation fields across the state.

Meanwhile, authorities are also recording the Krishna water inflow into Chennai reservoirs. On Thursday 330 cusecs of water was realised at Uthukottai zero point making the total storage level to 4,865 tmc feet against the capacity of 11 tmc feet. According to Chennai metro water sources summer can be easily managed with the current storage level of water.