After a gap of 21 years, the Mettur Dam, Stanley Reservoir in Tamil Nadu, has created a new record, by holding water to its maximum level, for 20 consecutive days.
Earlier, the dam was filled for eight days continuously, in 1998. The water released from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini dams in Karnataka is collected in Stanley Reservoir. The maximum level of the dam is 120 ft and the storage capacity is 93.47 tmcft.
Presently, 7,400 cusec of water is being released from the dam, and the inflow is also the same, according to sources. The water in the Mettur dam is the only source of drinking water for Salem and 12 other districts in Tamil Nadu. It also benefits farmers of around 16.4 lakh acres of land.
As the water storage level in the dam is good, since the past three months, the underground water table has increased and dried borewells have been rejuvenated.
Govindaswamy, a farmer in Mettur, said that they were finding it difficult to harvest two crops a year, due to water shortage.
With the storage capacity of the dam good, this year, the farmers are hoping to harvest four crops. The region receiving rains since a few days too has helped the farming community, he said.