Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami on Monday stated that the sluice gates of the Mettur Dam in Salem district will be opened on July 19.
Here are 5 things you should know about the decision:
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As per a report by Deccan Herald, the government has decided to open the sluice gates to facilitate short term paddy cultivation in the Cauvery delta region. CM Palaniswami has announced a package of Rs 115 crores to help farmers cultivate using available water resources.
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The inflow of water crossed 1.06 lakh cusecs on Monday evening. According to The Hindu, it was stated that the district administration in Salem has issued a flood warning to people residing in low-lying areas in the villages situated along the banks of the Cauvery river up to Mettur. Officials have directed the people and the fishermen of Adipalar, Settipatti, Pannavadi, Moolakkadu, Thinnapatti, Sinnamedu and other places situated near Mettur to move to higher grounds, the report added. Inland fishermen have been warned against venturing into the sea.
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If the water level crosses the 100 ft mark, it will be the first time in 4 years that the dam’s storage level has crossed that mark, a report in The Hindu states. The last time the dam reached its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) was on August 5, 2013, when the inflow was as high as 1.78 lakh cusecs.
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The water level at Mettur dam is inching closer to the 100 feet mark against its full reservoir level of 120 ft. According to a report by the Times of India, a PWD officer said that the level of in the reservoir was 83.2 ft on Sunday morning and that on Monday morning, it rose to 87.92ft, faster than they expected.
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The water level in Mettur dam is rising after water was released from Karnataka reservoirs, which too have filled up due to heavy rains.
Also read: Dams in Karnataka reach danger levels as heavy rains lash state
