A Personal Gesture Amid Official Duties
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's visit to Mettur on Monday combined official duties with a personal interaction that has become the focus of attention. Vijay opened the gates of the Mettur Dam to release water for Samba cultivation, but it was his encounter with an elderly woman that drew particular notice.
According to reports, Vijay removed his Christian Dior glasses and gave them to the woman, who was seen wearing the oversized frames while holding the Chief Minister's arm and walking beside him through the crowd. She smiled and waved to those gathered, adding a warmer, more personal character to the ceremonial proceedings.
Reports from Livemint provide additional detail, describing how the Chief Minister made an unscheduled stop at a roadside farm home after opening the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir. Chellam, an elderly resident from a nearby village, stepped forward and took his hand. Vijay asked if she had eaten, and Chellam recalled telling him she had not, as she was waiting to see him first. She described the encounter as comparable to winning a "crore of rupees."
Vijay placed his Christian Dior sunglasses on Chellam, despite her initial reluctance. Videos of the interaction, which went viral, show the Chief Minister gently persuading her before placing the glasses on her face. Chellam told reporters she was so happy that she promised to defend him if anyone tried to harm him.
The sunglasses, a product of the French luxury brand, are reportedly worth around ₹40,000, though the actual cost could not be verified by Mint.
The Mettur Dam Water Release
The visit to Mettur was primarily to open the dam gates and release water for Samba paddy cultivation for the 2026–27 season, as well as to meet drinking water requirements across the Cauvery basin. The Cauvery Delta is known as Tamil Nadu's rice bowl, and water from Mettur is crucial for farmers in the region.
As of Monday morning, the water level in the dam stood at 91.56 feet, with a storage of 54.452 thousand million cubic feet and an inflow recorded at 10,857 cusecs. The government said the storage level and inflow would be monitored continuously and water would be released in phases according to irrigation requirements.
The release was planned amid a deficient southwest monsoon and the impact of El Niño, according to reports. Farmers have been advised to choose medium-duration paddy varieties and consider direct seeding.
The government said every cusec released from the dam would be carefully managed to ensure water reaches farmers, including those in tail-end areas. Joint monitoring teams will patrol the river and canal network. The Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Water Resources, and Revenue and Disaster Management departments have been directed to coordinate with district administrations.
In a statement, the government emphasized the equitable sharing of water, saying, "Let us use water judiciously; let us share it equitably till the tail-end areas; let us ensure the success of Samba cultivation."
Farmer Interactions and Community Engagement
During his visit, Vijay also visited the home of farmer P Ramasamy at Chinnakavoor village in Mettur and interacted with him. Reports from Livemint describe Vijay distributing dhotis and sarees to the host family and discussing local agricultural affairs, including the government's recent decision to raise milk procurement prices to ₹44.
The broader context of the visit underscored Tamil Nadu's position on Cauvery water, which the state considers its legal right under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's award and the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment. The government's message focused on cooperative management of water resources to ensure successful cultivation across the delta.