Chennai, Sept. 1 -- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Tuesday opened the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur for irrigation in the Cauvery delta district.

The water release is planned for 45 days from September 1, subject to the reservoir's storage levels and inflow conditions.

The opening of the Mettur dam is traditionally scheduled for June 12 every year to facilitate the cultivation of kuruvai, a short-duration paddy crop, in the Cauvery Delta region. However, the exercise was deferred this year due to inadequate rainfall in the Cauvery basin and low storage levels in the reservoir.

This will be Vijay's first visit to Mettur after assuming office as Chief Minister on May 10.

The opening of the dam comes amid a continui...