After remaining bone dry for the last few months, the Veeranam tank in Kattumannarkovil has started receiving significant inflows raising the hopes of farmers in the district to take up Samba cultivation.
On Tuesday, the storage at Veeranam tank stood at 586 million cubic feet of water, out of its total capacity of 1,465 mcft.
The tank, which remained at dead storage level at the beginning of the monsoon has been receiving an inflow of 786 cubic feet per second (cusecs) from the Mettur dam in Salem district. At this stage, the tank is expected to reach its full capacity in the next two weeks. The tank gets its supply from Vadavar channel from the Lower Anicut on the Coleroon River, a tributary of the Cauvery River.
At present, the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSW) has been drawing 27 cusecs from the tank daily while another 16 cusecs are being drawn from the Wallajah tank in the district.
“Once the water level in the tank reaches its full capacity, a decision would be taken on the release of water after holding consultations with farmers’ associations,” an official of the Public Works Department (PWD) said.
The Veeranam tank is one of the main drinking water sources for Chennai and irrigates about 45,000 acres of agricultural land in Bhuvanagiri, Kumaratchi, Parangipettai, Keerapalayam and Kattumannarkovil blocks in Cuddalore district.
K.V. Elangeeran, president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Federation pointed out that poor water management had resulted in nearly 2 tmc of water wasted as run-off annually. The PWD should increase the storage level of the tank to ensure a good harvest for farmers. It should evolve a strategy and release the surplus water into the irrigation canal and channels. This would also recharge the ground water level in these areas, he said.