Twelve days from today, the sluice gates of Mettur dam would be lifted for delta irrigation, as announced by the state, but WRD (water resource department) is still unsure of ‘watering’ samba crop beyond October.
Blame it on a so far failed monsoon or adamant Karanataka taking up widespread summer cultivation, WRD experts are skeptical about sustaining supply beyond 35 days, notwithstanding the gradual rise in inflow into Mettur Stanley Reservoir during the last one week.
At 4 pm on Wednesday, Mettur dam received 6,196 cusecs, nearly 2,000 cusecs more than yesterday and the water capacity stood at 39.3tmcft (thousand million cubic feet), sources at the dam told Deccan Chronicle. Heavy rain in Cauvery catchments has also increased inflow into Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoirs in Karnataka. While the inflow increased 1/3rd to 9,860 cusecs in Kabini, KRS realized 16,700 cusecs on Wednesday, against Monday’s 14,000 cusecs. However, WRD seniors fear that the existing inflow was “too little” and “too early” to revive hopes.
“Unless the inflow increases and remains consistently at 12,000cusecs (1tmcft) for the next 10 days, the scenario will not improve,” a senior WRD official said adding that the present inflow (6,000cusecs) was too little to support Delta irrigation.
With the dead storage at 5tmcft, the existing water storage (39.3tmcft) in Mettur dam would help open water for delta irrigation for the next 35 maximum days at a rate of 12,000 cusecs or 1tmcft per day, the source noted adding that they would be able to take a call only after September 15.
“Releasing water on September 17 is a chance we are taking. We hope that there is still some rain left in southwest monsoon and the northeast monsoon will start filling the reservoirs by late October, the time till which the present Mettur dam storage will last,” the official reasoned.