Chennai, Sept. 1 -- For the first time, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK Founder Vijay on Tuesday released the waters and became the seventh CM to open the sluice gates of the Mettur dam for irrigation in Cauvery delta districts.
Vijay reached Salem by air and drove down to Mettur and opened the Stanley reservoir much to the relief of farmers, who were already affected in short term Kuruvai crop cultivation.
However, the water release, nearly 80 days past the customary date of June 12 when the dam could not be opened due to indequate rains in Cauvery catchment areas and poor storage level, would benefit the farmers to take up cultivation of long term Samba and Thaladi crops.
The dam was opened today after it received steady inflow durin...