Coimbatore, Aug 4 (IANS) The flow in the Cauvery River at Biligundlu, the entry point of the river into Tamil Nadu, surged sharply to 18,000 cusecs on Tuesday morning following increased discharge from reservoirs in Karnataka amid heavy rainfall in the catchment areas.
The sudden rise in inflow is expected to boost the storage at the Mettur Dam and bring much-needed relief to farmers in the Cauvery delta, where water availability has remained a major concern.
Officials said the increased discharge from Karnataka’s Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoirs began reaching Biligundlu in the early hours of Tuesday. The inflow, which stood at just 500 cusecs on Monday evening, increased to around 1,000 cusecs during the early hours of Tuesday. It then rose rapidly to 8,000 cusecs by 7 a.m. before more than doubling to 18,000 cusecs by 10 a.m.
The flow is expected to increase further as Karnataka continues to release more than 27,000 cusecs from the Kabini and KRS reservoirs following heavy rainfall across the Cauvery catchment.
Water released from Karnataka reaches Biligundlu before flowing through Cauvery into the Mettur reservoir, which is a crucial source of irrigation for the delta districts of Tamil Nadu. Officials expect the fresh surge of water recorded at Biligundlu to reach the Mettur Dam by Tuesday evening or night, resulting in a substantial improvement in the reservoir’s inflow.
At present, the situation at Mettur remains subdued. The reservoir’s water level stood at 73.18 feet against its full reservoir level of 120 feet. The dam was receiving an inflow of only 68 cusecs, while 1,500 cusecs was being released to meet downstream requirements.
With the incoming Cauvery water expected to reach the reservoir within hours, officials are anticipating a sharp increase in inflow and a gradual improvement in storage.
The development has raised hopes among farmers in the Cauvery delta, particularly as the region has been facing concerns over inadequate water availability for cultivation.
Continued rainfall in upstream catchment areas and sustained releases from Karnataka’s reservoirs could further strengthen the flow into Tamil Nadu over the coming days. Officials are closely monitoring the discharge from Kabini and KRS as well as the inflow recorded at Biligundlu and Mettur.
–IANS
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