5 days ago
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The probability of the Mettur dam getting opened connected the scheduled day of June 12 appears to beryllium remote, successful presumption of the mediocre retention and the forecast of a mediocre southwest monsoon (June-September) this year.
Giving an relationship of the concern connected the h2o front, a elder authorities authoritative said the retention of the dam was “not adjacent 50%.” The India Meteorological Department had predicted the delayed onset of the monsoon, isolated from lowering its forecast to 90% of the agelong play mean of rainfall against the archetypal 92%. Under specified circumstances, it is “out of the question” to unfastened the dam, observes the official. As connected Saturday(May 30), the dam’s retention was astir 41 1000 cardinal cubic feet (tmcft) against the capableness of 93.47 tmcft. Inflow to the dam was astir 1,950 cubic feet per 2nd (cusecs), with the outflow being astir 1,000 cusecs.
Besides, the retention of reservoirs successful the Karnataka information of the Cauvery stream basin is not encouraging. According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre’s study for the day, the combined retention of the Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini dams, from which h2o is released to Tamil Nadu done the river, is 16.09 tmcft against the full gross capableness of 68.97 tmcft. There are 2 different dams — Harangi and Hemavathy — which are upstream of the archetypal two. Their retention is 17.75 tmcft, portion the capableness is 45.6 tmcft. According to the information disposable with the Central Water Commission, Tamil Nadu realised, arsenic connected May 26, astir 330 tmcft astatine Biligundulu against its stock of 176.85 tmcft during the h2o twelvemonth 2025-26 (June-May).
During the erstwhile DMK authorities (2021-26), barring 2024, the Mettur dam was opened connected the scheduled day successful 3 years and up by a fewer weeks successful 2022. Two years ago, the h2o merchandise for irrigation commenced connected July 29, erstwhile the retention was astir 88 tmcft. On 20 occasions successful the 92-year-long past of the dam, the h2o merchandise began connected the customary date, including past year.
Given the existent retention astatine Mettur, the sum during the kuruvai cultivation play would, astatine best, beryllium 2.5 lakh acres, successful presumption of astir 1 lakh filter points oregon borewells. In caller years, the mean sum during the kuruvai season successful the delta has been astir 4.4 lakh acres. Last year, it touched an all-time precocious of astir 6.09 lakh acres. If farmers spell for the earlier mean sum of 3 lakh acres, they would necessitate astatine slightest 80 tmcft. The authorities is considering an assistance bundle for the farmers to rise paddy during the season, the authoritative points out, adding that it is besides receptive to the thought of encouraging farmers to turn pulses more.
An cultivation adept says it would beryllium advisable for farmers to implicit the sowing for pulses — ordinarily successful Tamil Nadu, achromatic gram — by the 2nd week of June oregon arsenic aboriginal arsenic possible. The crop’s duration is, connected an average, 60 to 70 days. If farmers hold raising the crop, they whitethorn person to look the hazard of harvest harm successful the aboriginal portion of the southwest monsoon oregon the aboriginal portion of northeast monsoon (October-December).
