Tamil Nadu to Open Mettur Dam for Paddy on September 1 After Delayed Monsoon
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will release water from the Mettur Dam in Salem district on September 1, 2026, nearly 80 days later than the usual June 12 opening, due to poor monsoon rainfall. With the reservoir at nearly 90 feet against a maximum capacity of 120 feet (93.47 tmcft), the water will be released for about 45 days to support the Samba paddy crop in the Cauvery delta. The dam irrigates about 16.05 lakh acres of farmland across 12 districts in Tamil Nadu, making timely release critical for farmers. Built between 1925 and 1934 across the Cauvery river with 17,000 workers, the 1,700-metre-long dam was designed by Colonel W. M. Ellis and funded by the Madras Presidency. The reservoir also receives inflows from the Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagar dams in neighbouring Karnataka.
Why it matters
The delayed Mettur release directly affects lakhs of paddy farmers across 12 Tamil Nadu districts who depend on Cauvery water for the Samba season, with the 45-day window now compressed and dependent on Karnataka's upstream dam releases.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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