Vijay Releases Water From Mettur Dam for Irrigation
The CM was given a rousing reception by the TVK cadres, who erected party flag poles on road margins and also put up welcome banners and festoons along roadsides and prominent intersections
Salem: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay opened the sluices of the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur on Tuesday for irrigation in the Cauvery delta districts. Vijay, in the presence of his Cabinet colleagues, including N Anand, turned on a button to open the sluice gates and showered flowers on the gushing waters marking the release of Cauvery water.
After he became the chief minister, this is the first time Vijay opens the historic Mettur dam, the lifeline of farmers in the delta regions of the state. He also posed with farmers on the premises of the dam. Sporting a green shawl, seen as a symbol of farmers and agriculture, he interacted with ryots.
After arriving here by a special flight from Chennai, Vijay reached Mettur by road.
On his way to the reservoir town, he held a road show, greeted people, and enthusiastically waved at them, who lined up both sides of the road.
The CM was given a rousing reception by the TVK cadres, who erected party flag poles on road margins and also put up welcome banners and festoons along roadsides and prominent intersections.
In several places, people showered flowers on him.
The water discharged from the dam during a 45-day window reaches about 12 districts, including the primary beneficiary farmers in Thanjavur, considered the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu.
As on September 1, the storage in Mettur dam is 91.56 ft out of the full 120 ft.
Though June 12 is the customary date for opening the sluice gates, the exercise was deferred due to poor monsoon and low storage levels.