Water expected to reach Mettur dam soon; discrepancies emerge in inflow figures

With Karnataka having begun releasing Cauvery water from the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir, the inflow, as recorded at the gauging site in Biligundlu on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border in Krishnagiri district, has been on the rise since Monday morning.

On Monday, water plunged off the rocky cliffs of Hogenakkal for the first time in many months, putting an end to the dry spell that had been haunting the tourist spot.

However, there were discrepancies in the inflow figures given by the officials at the gauging sites in Biligundlu and Hogenakkal.

While an official of the Central Water Commission (CWC) in Biligundlu capped the inflow at 4,500 cusecs, according to the Collector’s office, the inflow into Hogenakkal was 10,000 cusecs as of Monday evening and was likely to go up.

The water level rose to 400 cusescs between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., and then steadily increased to 4,000 cusecs all through the forenoon, up to 1 p.m. The inflow touched 4,500 cusecs at 3 p.m., and has remained constant at that level since then.

“No matter how many times reporters ask, the number is the same: 4,500 cusecs only. There is no truth to [claims of] 7,000 or 9,000 cusecs (of inflow),” said a CWC official. The level is likely to remain the same for the next 12 hours, and the water released subsequently on Sunday is likely to reach here only on Tuesday, according to the official.

When asked about the huge variations in the inflow figures provided by the two agencies, Dharmapuri Sub Collector Sivan Arul said he will ask the officials to look into it.

Nonetheless, the inflow ahead of Aadi Perukku, when Hogenakkal will see an influx of tourists looking to bathe in the Cauvery, has brought cheer to the locals, who depend on tourism for their livelihood.

On Monday, the water level at the Mettur dam was 39.13 ft. The inflow into the dam was 213 cusecs and the outflow to the river was 1,000 cusecs.

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said water would be released from the dam for samba cultivation if the level touches 90 ft.

According to officials, in Salem and Namakkal alone, there are 26 water supply schemes dependent on water from Mettur.