PMK Backs Mettur Water Release, Urges Karnataka to Honour Cauvery Share

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has welcomed the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to release water from the Mettur dam from September 1 to protect Kuruvai crops and facilitate Samba cultivation, while expressing concern over the reservoir’s low storage level.

In a statement, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss urged the state government to press Karnataka through the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Supreme Court to secure Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of Cauvery water and ensure adequate supplies for the Samba season.

The Mettur dam, whose shutters are traditionally opened for irrigation on June 12, could not be opened on schedule this year because of inadequate storage and Karnataka’s alleged refusal to release the required water. Recent inflows have raised the reservoir level to 89.24 feet, with storage of 51.78 TMC feet. The Chief Minister is scheduled to open the sluices on Tuesday.

Anbumani said opening the dam had become unavoidable as around 95 per cent of water bodies in the Cauvery delta have dried up, while falling groundwater levels are posing a threat to standing Kuruvai crops. However, he cautioned that the current storage remains below the 90-100 feet level considered necessary for sustained irrigation releases.

The PMK leader also highlighted the scale of the challenge for the upcoming Samba and Thaladi seasons. According to him, around 18 lakh acres are expected to be cultivated, requiring nearly 160 TMC of water. Even if the northeast monsoon contributes 50-60 TMC, the Mettur reservoir would need to provide another 100-110 TMC, he said.

Anbumani noted that tribunal and court orders require Tamil Nadu to receive 114.11 TMC between late August and December for the cropping season. He claimed Karnataka currently has 82.11 TMC in its reservoirs, with inflows continuing.

He argued that releasing around 2 TMC daily could help clear Karnataka’s water backlog by the end of September, and urged the Tamil Nadu government to act proactively to protect delta farmers’ livelihoods and ensure a successful Samba harvest.