With CM Vijay opening the Mettur dam, focus turns to longevity of water release
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has opened the Mettur dam for irrigation, with officials monitoring water levels to ensure a 45-day release schedule. The decision balances current storage levels against environmental requirements and the anticipated arrival of the northeast monsoon.
Why it matters
Water management is critical for agricultural stability and drinking water security in the Cauvery river basin, impacting millions of residents.
With Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay opening the Mettur dam for irrigation on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) and the government planning to maintain the release for 45 days initially, the focus is on how long the authorities will be able to continue the release.
On Tuesday (September 1, 2026), the water level stood at 91.56 ft with the storage being about 54.45 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft). The dam’s full level is 120 ft and the capacity is 93.47 tmc ft.
It appears the authorities will release one tmc ft a day. Given the storage and assuming the worst scenario of the State not realising any further inflow, they can maintain the release for about one and a half months, after giving allowance of 10 tmc ft for environmental flows, drinking water requirements and dead storage.
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