Chennai, Jul 30 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government has stepped up vigil at the bathing ghats in delta districts of the state for the upcoming 'Aadi Perukku' as the water release from the Mettur dam has increased.

Aadi Perukku is a Tamil monsoon festival held on the 18th day of Tamil Aadi month, and this year it falls on Saturday (August 3).

The festival has several rituals to be done on the banks of the rivers.

The release of water from the Mettur dam is to affect the delta districts of Thanjavur, Myladuthurai, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

The district administration has increased the police presence on the river banks to prevent devotees from taking a dip during the heavy flow of water in the rivers during the Aadi Perukku festival.

The Stanley Reservoir in Mettur was opened on Sunday after heavy rain in the catchment areas of the Cauvery river in Karnataka led to water flow into Metttur dam. On Monday, at 8 p.m., the water level in the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur stood at 118 ft, just 2 feet short of its maximum capacity of 120 ft.

As the water level crossed 118 feet at 8 p.m. on Monday, authorities increased the discharge for delta irrigation from 12,000 cusecs to 23,000 cusecs from Sunday evening.

However, the dam was not opened on the customary date of June 12 as the storage level was low.

Meanwhile, the farmers of these delta districts have urged officials to prioritise filling lakes and tanks before allowing excess water to flow into the Cauvery river and eventually into the sea.

P. Viswanathan, state president of the Tamil Nadu Tank and River Irrigation Farmers' Association, in a statement on Tuesday, demanded that the 935 lakes in delta districts be filled first.

He emphasised the importance of using all water bodies for storing Cauvery water and ensuring the timely availability of quality paddy seeds.

The farmers' leader also said that in 2023, heavy losses occurred due to poor-quality seeds sold by private agencies.

He said, "Officials should ensure that all farmers receive quality seeds and crop loans without having to run from pillar to post."

Deputy secretary of the Cauvery Delta Farmers' Welfare Association, Kavandampatti R Subramanian, in a statement said that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has fixed a certain quantum of water that should be released into the Cauvery every month.

He came out strongly against the Karnataka government for "using Tamil Nadu as a drainage area" by releasing excess water into the river during flood-like situations, in addition to the mandatory monthly release.

The farmer leader said that the Tamil Nadu government should raise this issue with the Cauvery Water Management Committee (CWMC), insisting that the excess water should not be counted as part of the mandatory release.