Chennai, Nov 18: With Tamil Nadu receiving substantial rainfall since the onset of the northeast monsoon on October 17, nearly 90 reservoirs in the state are now over 60 per cent full.

The state’s 90 reservoirs currently hold 143.804 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water, accounting for 64.11 per cent of their total capacity of 224.297 tmcft as of Sunday.

Officials from the Water Resources Department (WRD) stated that this is significantly higher than the same period last year when the storage level stood at just 79.514 tmcft (35.58 per cent).

The Mettur reservoir, a key water source, reached 62,140 mcft of storage on Sunday, marking a 384 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2023. Similarly, the Bhavanisagar reservoir recorded 21,141 tmcft of storage, reflecting a 210 per cent rise from the previous year.

WRD officials highlighted that these reservoirs are vital for irrigation in the region. They also noted that higher rainfall and increased inflows from Karnataka have contributed to the improved storage levels.

Between June and October, Karnataka was mandated by the Supreme Court to release 134.2284 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu.

However, due to heavy rainfall in the Cauvery River’s catchment areas, Karnataka released 221.1125 tmcft - 86.8842 tmcft more than required.

In contrast, Tamil Nadu received only 53.7209 tmcft during the same period in 2023. Officials expect additional water to be available to meet drinking water needs during the summer season.

To mitigate potential flooding, WRD plans to release water through surplus channels in a controlled manner.

Farmers in the Cauvery Delta region told IANS that the state government must release water from these reservoirs as agricultural activities could be carried out during the summer.

According to UV Pasupathy, leader of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Association, there are three agricultural seasons in the Delta districts.

However, due to water shortages, farmers typically cultivate only twice a year, leaving the summer season fallow.

“With proper water management, we could cultivate during all three seasons, including summer,” said Pasupathy.

He suggested that the government plan for water releases during the summer to enable farmers to grow short-term crops like black gram.

Despite the good rainfall this year, farmers expressed concerns about the lack of infrastructure to store excess water.

They pointed out the absence of channels or linkages between irrigation tanks and reservoirs, which hinders effective water storage and management.

The Delta farmers have called on the government to create infrastructure linking reservoirs and irrigation tanks to ensure better water storage and to meet future agricultural and drinking water needs.

--IANS

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