Even as the inflow of Cauvery waters into the Mettur dame was rising, the Public Works Department (PWD) suspended the release of water into the east and west channels in the early hours of Saturday.
The inflow into the dam, which was 7,538 cusecs on Friday, rose to 12,573 cusecs on Saturday, thanks to the release of water from the Krishnaraj Sagar and Kabini reservoirs in Karnataka because of widespread rainfall in the catchment areas of the Cauvery in the last few days.
Because of the increased inflow, the water level in the dam rose to 60.43 feet on Saturday from 59.12 feet the previous day. The storage swelled to 25.009 tmc from 24.035 tmc against the dams full capacity of 93.47 tmc.
Water supply suspended
Meanwhile, the PWD suspended the release of water from the Mettur dam into the east and west canals to meet the drinking water needs in villages all along channels in the districts of Salem, Erode and Namakkal at 4 a.m. on Saturday, after the 15-day period ended. The State government, on the recommendation of the Collectors of Salem, Namakkal and Erode districts, which fell under the East-West Canal irrigation system of the Mettur Dam and also the Chief Engineer, Water Resource Organisation (WRO), PWD, Tiruchi, ordered release of 600 cusecs of water for 12 days from August 17. However, as farmers demanded water supply for a few more days, the government issued fresh order extending the release of water for three more days till September 1.
At present, 700 cusecs of water is being released from the dam for meeting the drinking water needs of delta districts.