Vijay Releases Mettur Water For Delta Region Amid Cauvery Fight With Karnataka

Dressed in a traditional veshti and shirt, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Tuesday released water from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur, Salem district, marking his first such release as Chief Minister. He showered floral petals into the channel as waters gushed through the gates.

Thousands of people lined the roads as Vijay travelled from Salem airport to Mettur. As he neared Mettur, the Chief Minister stood atop his vehicle and waved to the crowds.

The Cauvery is the lifeline of Tamil Nadu's delta region, the state's rice bowl. Traditionally, the government seeks to release water from Mettur on June 12, subject to water availability, to facilitate the three major paddy seasons - Kuruvai, Samba and Thaladi - besides meeting drinking water requirements.

This year's delayed release has already cost farmers an opportunity to raise Kuruvai in large areas. Today's release is expected to primarily benefit Samba cultivation, covering a little over four lakh hectares.

Welcoming the release, Cauvery Dhanabalan, President of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations, told NDTV: "This is the right time to ensure at least Samba crop is raised. Any delay would clash with peak monsoon and destroy crops." However a section of farmers are worried, the water could have been released little late after storage in Mettur reservoir had further improved, in consultation with farmers.

Samba requires 130 to 145 days of water. With the 120-foot dam holding 91.56 feet of water, the government plans to sustain the release for at least 45 days, depending on storage and inflows. It is also banking on improved inflows with the North-East Monsoon to fulfil the rest of requirements. The government has said the decision was based on improved storage, expected inflows and the anticipated monsoon, besides irrigation and drinking water needs.

The release comes amid a continuing dispute with Karnataka over Tamil Nadu's Cauvery share, as determined by the Cauvery Tribunal and upheld by the Supreme Court. Tamil Nadu maintains that Karnataka has not adhered to the prescribed water-sharing arrangement, including during distress years, and instead releases larger quantities only when its reservoirs approach full capacity.

As of August 27, Tamil Nadu says 107 TMC of its due Cauvery water remains pending, while Karnataka has released only 49 TMC. Following Tamil Nadu's intervention, the Cauvery Water Management Authority has directed Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs.

The Cauvery dispute also remains linked to Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu reservoir across the river, which Tamil Nadu opposes, arguing that the project cannot proceed without the consent of the lower-riparian state.