SALEM: As many as 12 districts dependent on Mettur dam for water requirements face a threat of acute drinking water crisis in the coming days as its storage level has dipped to an all time low of mere 37 feet, as against its full capacity of 120 feet due to lack of rainfall.
Every year water used to be opened for delta agriculture irrigation on June 12, but in 2016 the dam missed its date and was released only on September 20, due to lack of sufficient storage in the reservoir.
The amount of water released was also reduced drastically due to plummeting water levels. The situation got aggravated as Karnataka too refused to release water into the Cauvery.
On a daily basis, 45 crore litres of water is drawn from the dam using floating motors to serve the drinking water needs of more than 500 villages.
As the water table looks grim, the 12 districts dependent on the Mettur dam water could face severe water crisis in the coming months.
