City residents delighted as Cauvery reaches Mukkombu

TIRUCHY residents are delighted that Cauvery water reached the Mokkambu shutters on Saturday morning. For those in the city, who have for the past eight months been seeing the bone-dry riverbed, it was a wonder to see the water flow from Mettur dam to the delta districts. Discharge from the dam has been brought down to 500 cusecs on Saturday afternoon, from 7,000 cusecs. Cauvery water was expected to reach Kambarasanpettai on Sunday morning where the collector wells supplying potable water to the city are located. The shortage of water to meet the public need is likely to ease for a week. Sources said that from July 31, the Public Works Department foreseeing the need for waterflow along river Cauvery to Aadi Perulcicu earlier this month had increased the rate of discharge of water from 500 cusecs to 2,500 cusecs. The water discharge to meet the delta demands was in-creased to 7,000 cusecs from August 8. As on Saturday, the water discharged from Mettur Dam was arriving at the rate of 4,779 cusecs in Mayanur check dam in Karur district, and the quantum was re-ceived at 4,268 cusecs in Muk-kombu (Upper Anaicut). "The shortfall of 500 cusecs of water between Mayanur and Mukkombu, located 39 km apart, appears nominal. There are chances of both small-scale and large- scale farmers with non-farmers to tap illegally the poor flow of water with motor pumps These activities must be strictly monitored and curbed by officials as quantum of water being dis-charged is strictly meant for only drinking purpose," said P Rajendran, farmer from Mukkombu. If the water seeps into Kam-barasanpettai by Sunday, the Cor-poration sources said, a quantum of Cauvery water would for sure-ly recharge at least four collector wells besides recharging the collector wells of Ramanathapuram Combined Drinking Water Supply Scheme.

Plan put on hold Last month, the Tiruchy Corporation planned to tackle drought by sinking 135 borewells in required places across four zones at an estimated cost of Rs 1.97 crore. Now, it Is said that the plan has been put on hold expecting Cauvery water to be released from Mettur to ease the situation.

Source epaper.newindianexpress.com//c/21308789