Chennai, Jan 2 (IANS): Samba paddy farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, regarded as the rice bowl of the state, have demanded an increase in water release from the Mettur Dam which recorded full reservoir level (FRL) of 120 feet on Wednesday.

A senior official from the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department (TNWRD) said that the farmers’ demands are under consideration and a decision regarding the water release will be made soon.

It may be recalled that water from the Cauvery was first released for the current irrigation year on July 28 to facilitate cultivation in the Cauvery delta districts. The dam had reached FRL on July 30, 2024, just prior to the water release for samba paddy cultivation.

Following heavy rains during the northeast monsoon, water demand in the delta districts significantly dropped, leading to conservation of inflow into the Mettur Dam, which has now once again increased the reservoir level to 120 feet.

On Wednesday morning, the dam’s water level remained at FRL, with an inflow of 1,791 cusecs and an outflow of 669 cusecs.

Water released for the delta currently stands at 500 cusecs, with only 100 cusecs each being released into the Cauvery, Vennaru, and GA Canal rivers from Kallanai.

Krishnagopalan, a farmer from Thanjavur district, emphasised the urgency, stating, “Samba paddy is in the flowering stage. Therefore, 10,000 cusecs of water must be released immediately from the Mettur Dam for at least ten days.”

He requested the release of Cauvery water into all rivers flowing through the Thanjavur district.

Heavy rains since the onset of the northeast monsoon on October 1 have brought Tamil Nadu’s reservoirs close to full capacity.

Water storage levels in the state’s reservoirs are now just 12 per cent short of their total capacity of 224.297 thousand million cubic feet (TMC).

The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department reported that 12 reservoirs — three in the Coimbatore region, seven in the Madurai region, and two in the Chennai region — have reached full capacity during the monsoon.

Additionally, storage in 18 reservoirs has exceeded 90 per cent of their total capacity, while 23 reservoirs have water levels between 70 per cent and 80 per cent. The Sathanur Reservoir, for instance, currently stands at 117 feet, just shy of its FRL of 119 feet.