Water released from Kuppanatham dam in Tiruvannamalai for irrigation

Water was released from Kuppanatham dam across Cheyyar river near Chengam town in Tiruvannamalai on Tuesday, following requests from farmers as it will help them irrigate 9,808.67 acres of paddy fields in the region.

Collector K. Tharpagaraj opened the sluice gates of the dam. Water has been released into the river and distributed in the left and right bank canals from the pick-up dam. Water will be released for 28 days (up to March 31) for irrigation. Every day, on an average, 240 cusecs of water will be released for farming.

Cultivators have been advised to utilise the water judiciously as it is also used to meet the drinking water needs of the villages in the district. “Discharge of the water will help farmers in the region for cultivation as it will also prevent reduction of water level in farm wells and borewells during summer,” S. Hariharan, Assistant Engineer (AE), WRD (Chengam), told The Hindu.

Tuesday’s initiative comes as sowing starts for paddy season in the region. Water from the neighbouring Sathanur dam will help irrigate over 45,000 acres of farmland in the district.

Water from Kuppanatham dam, which has a total storage capacity of 700 mcft of water, would benefit farmers in 40 villages in Chengam and Kalasapakkam taluks in the district. Of the current water storage of 593.08 mcft in the dam, a total of 580.80 mcft of water will be released for irrigation.

At present, the excess water from the dam is discharged into 47 irrigation tanks in the district, thereby recharging the water table in and around villages located on the foot of the Jawadhu Hills.