Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay opened the sluices of the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur on Tuesday, releasing water for irrigation in the Cauvery delta districts, as reported by The New Indian Express and Moneycontrol. The event, which took place in the presence of his Cabinet colleagues, including Rural Development and Water Resources Minister N Anand, saw Vijay press a button to open the sluice gates and shower flowers on the gushing waters, marking the release of Cauvery water.
First Opening as Chief Minister
This is the first time Vijay has personally opened the historic Mettur dam since becoming Chief Minister, a structure often described as the lifeline of farmers in the delta regions. Dressed in a green shawl, a symbol of farmers and agriculture, he interacted with farmers on the dam premises and posed with a group of them. Before arriving at the reservoir town, Vijay traveled from Chennai by special flight and then by road, staging a road show where he greeted crowds lining the streets and waved to supporters. The Tamil Nadu state transport and Agricultural department employees, along with party cadres of the ruling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), gave him a rousing reception, erecting party flag poles and welcome banners along roads and prominent intersections, with people showering flowers on him at several points.
The water released from the dam is expected to flow through a 45-day window and reach about 12 districts, including Thanjavur district, known as the rice and cultural capital of the state, which is the primary beneficiary. The openers come after a delay of approximately 80 days from the customary June 12 date for opening the sluices, which was deferred this year due to weak monsoon conditions and low storage levels in the reservoir, as reported by both outlets, calling upon a PTI report citing sources.
Water levels and release details
The reservoir was receiving an inflow of about 10,000 cusecs at the time of release, with the water level recorded at 90 feet. As on September 1, the storage was at 91.56 feet out of the full capacity of 120 feet, as reported by The New Indian Express. The dam's release is also to meet drinking water requirements in the region, with nearly 2,000 cusecs of water being released for that purpose, according to Moneycontrol.
In earlier days, Rural Development and Water Resources Minister N Anand, along with Transport Minister Min Parthiban, had visited the site and held a review meeting with officials to oversee arrangements.
Reactions and political exchange
The announcement of the water release has drawn mixed responses. Farmers in the Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts urged the state government to postpone the opening by 10 days, according to the report, though not detail specific reasons. The Communist Party of India (CPI) welcomed the decision, while the PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) urged the state government to prevail upon the Cauvery Water Management Authority to secure more water from Karnataka, Moneycontrol reported.
Political statements accompanied the event. The Public Works and Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna, speaking on Monday before the scheduled opening, criticized the DMK during an assembly debate, alleging they had done little for farmers and would not have waived loans if they had returned to power. He said Chief Minister Vijay had spoken about loan waivers twice, announcing a waiver of almost Rs 75,000 of a Rs 1 lakh loan, and asserted the government would completely resolve farmers' problems, noting that for the first time in history the Chief Minister would open the dam and that farmers' tears would be wiped away.
In response, DMK former minister N N Nehru cited Reserve Bank of India norms and guidelines that he said impose strict fiscal and timeline constraints on state-level farm crop loan waivers. He criticized the ruling TVK for not honouring its poll promise to announce complete waiver of farm loans, as reported by Moneycontrol.
Political and fiscal constraints
The exchange highlights a contentious issue: the opposition DMK maintains that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines require states to adhere to strict fiscal and timeline constraints for farm loan waivers, making a full waiver difficult. In contrast, the ruling party argues that the requirement is an exercise in political will, and that the state has taken a step by waiving the greater measure of the debt.
Arjuna also said the government would resolve farmers' problems completely, but did not provide specific details beyond loan waivers and the water release.
Broader context
The dam opening is a significant event in Tamil Nadu's agricultural calendar, with the release marking the commencement of irrigation for the delta districts. The 45-day window aligns with the cultivation cycle in the region, making the release of the dam a key move ahead of the year-end growing season.
The Mettur dam, also known as Dr. K. Kamaraj Nagar, is a key structure on the Cauvery river and serves as its main reservoir for off-season irrigation. Farmers and political figures have regularly called for adherence to the traditional date of opening, but technical considerations, including low storage due to significant monsoon failures in recent years, have then resulted in postponed schedules.
Reports note that the dam's water level improved enough by early September for the release to be feasible at 10am on Tuesday.
With the release, the state government aims to balance immediate irrigation needs with monsoon caution, anticipating that the deficits may be quickly compensated by the continued water inflow. However, opposition parties say that farmer interests are being subject to political considerations, given the timing and the political context of the debt waiver debate.
The reported opening of the dam on Tuesday and subsequent water releases are expected to be observed by farmers and officials for their intended effects on the delta and the broader agrarian economy in the weeks to come.