The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : All important reservoirs in State brimming with water

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 10, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

All important reservoirs in State brimming with water

T. Ramakrishnan

Irrigation for farmers in the coming season is assured Irrigation for farmers in the coming season is assured, thanks to bountiful monsoon

WATER RELEASE: Surplus water being released from Vaigai Dam on Monday.

CHENNAI: As the irrigation season draws to a close, all important reservoirs in the State are almost full. The near full storage means assured irrigation for farmers in the coming season. The main reason for the present situation is the bountiful northeast monsoon in 2005, when the State recorded 77 cm of rain (normal: 44 cm).

A small quantum is discharged for drinking and other needs. On Wednesday, the Mettur dam, lifeline of the Cauvery delta, had 82.2 thousand million cubic feet (capacity: 93.4 tmcft). The level was 112.6 ft (120 ft). The authorities point out that it was for the first time in the history of the dam the level stood at 112 ft when water release was stopped on the scheduled date, on January 28.

The storage of the State's second largest dam, Bhavanisagar, was 27 tmcft (32.8 tmcft). The level was 97.9 ft (105 ft). Another dam in the Cauvery basin, Amaravathy, had 3.3 tmcft (4.04 tmcft).

The Vaigai dam, crucial for Madurai and surrounding areas, had 5 tmcft against its capacity of six tmcft.

Of the reservoirs forming part of the Parambikulam-Aliyar system, the level in the Parambikulam dam in Coimbatore district was 60.33 ft (full level: 72 ft). The storage was 10.8 tmcft (13.4 tmcft).

The authorities say that in the current water year, Tamil Nadu supplied Kerala its share of 12.3 tmcft.

Under an inter-State agreement, the State is to provide the quantum from the Sholayar reservoir located in its territory. (There is one more reservoir by that name in Kerala).

Besides, as per the agreement, Tamil Nadu has ensured that as on February 1, Kerala's Sholayar reservoir had the full storage of 5.4 tmcft, the officials say.

The level in the Sholayar in Tamil Nadu was 42.5 ft (full level 160 ft).

The storage was 0.629 tmcft (5 tmcft). In the Aliyar dam, the level stood at 97.3 ft (120 ft). The storage was 2.4 tmcft (capacity: 3.9 tmcft).

Papanasam and Manimuthar in Tirunelveli district were comfortable with 4.7 tmcft and 5.1 tmcft. The capacity of the dams is 5.5 tmcft each.

The situation was more ore less the same at Pechiparai in Kannyakumari district. The storage was a little over 3 tmcft (capacity: 4.4 tmcft).

The Sathanur dam, which meets the needs of Tiruvannamalai and neighbouring areas, is still almost full.

Its level is one foot short of the full level of 119 ft. The storage is 7 tmcft (7.3 tmcft).

The Krishnagiri dam too is full with 1.574 tmcft (1.67 tmcft).

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