Water was released from the Sathanur dam on Wednesday morning after the level reached 96.20 feet.
Tiruvannamalai collector K.S. Kandasamy opened the sluice gates of the dam that is located 8 km away from the reservoir downstream. Water would be released in the river and distributed in the left and right bank canals from the pick-up dam, he said.
The water let out through the left and right canals in three phases will irrigate nearly 10,043 acres of agricultural lands in Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram districts.
Drinking water needs
Mr. Kandasamy asked cultivators to utilise the water judiciously as the water is required for drinking purposes of the villages of Tiruvannamalai district too.
Chengam MLA, M.P. Giri, District Revenue Officer, P. Rathinasamy, Assistant Collector (Training) M. Pratap, Central Pennaiyar Basin Circle Executive Engineer, G. Muralidharan, Sathanur dam water distribution circle assistant executive engineer E. Arivazhagan also participated in the event.