NE AGRICULTURE BUREAU
CHENNAI, SEPT 1
The gates of Mettur opened today—but for thousands of Cauvery Delta farmers, the real test begins only when the water reaches the last field. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday opened the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur in Salem district, releasing Cauvery water for Samba paddy cultivation in the Cauvery Delta and drinking-water requirements in the river-basin districts for the 2026-27 agricultural season.
மாண்புமிகு தமிழ்நாடு முதலமைச்சர் திரு.ச.ஜோசப் விஜய் அவர்கள் இன்று (1.9.2026) சேலம் மாவட்டம், மேட்டூர் அணையிலிருந்து, தமிழ்நாட்டின் நெற்களஞ்சியமாகத் திகழும் காவிரி டெல்டா மாவட்டங்களில் சம்பா சாகுபடியை மேற்கொள்ளவும், காவிரிப் படுகைப் பகுதிகளின் குடிநீர்த் தேவைகளை நிறைவு செய்யவும்… pic.twitter.com/nkjGDnODMO
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) September 1, 2026
The release, coming after the customary June 12 opening was deferred because of inadequate rainfall and low reservoir storage, offers a much-needed second chance to farmers who suffered losses in the Kuruvai season. But it has also triggered a crucial question on the ground: Will 45 days of regulated release be enough to carry the Samba crop through its full growth cycle, particularly in the tail-end Delta areas?
- CM C. Joseph Vijay releases Cauvery water for 2026-27 Samba cultivation and drinking-water needs across Delta districts
- “We will not give up Tamil Nadu’s lawful right”: Chief Minister hardens State’s stand on Cauvery water
- Water to be regulated according to storage and inflow; officials ordered to ensure every cusec is used for farmers
- Special teams to crack down on illegal pumping, unauthorised drawal and excess withdrawal from canals
- Farmers welcome the release as a lifeline after a badly hit Kuruvai season—but demand assured, longer supply for Samba
- Government urges water-saving paddy varieties and direct sowing as El Niño impact and weak southwest monsoon cloud the water outlook
As of September 1 morning, Mettur reservoir stood at 91.56 feet, with storage at 54.452 TMC and inflow at 10,857 cusecs. The government said the reservoir’s storage and inflow would be continuously monitored and discharge regulated progressively according to irrigation requirements.
Vijay’s Cauvery message: “We will not give up our lawful right”
The Chief Minister used the occasion to send a firm message on Tamil Nadu’s position in the long-running Cauvery water dispute.
“Cauvery water is our lawful right, secured by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and the Supreme Court judgment. We will not give up that right under any circumstances,” the government said in the Chief Minister’s message.
He also reiterated that the State Government would continue to take all legal and administrative measures, including approaching the Supreme Court, to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s legally determined share of Cauvery water and the rights of Delta farmers.
The State’s position assumes added significance amid continuing concerns over inflows into Mettur. Reports prior to the release showed that inflow had remained below the level stipulated under the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s direction for several days, fuelling anxiety among farmers in the Delta.
Every cusec to be accounted for—from dam to tail-end
The Chief Minister has directed the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Water Resources, Revenue and Disaster Management departments to coordinate with district administrations to ensure that the released water is distributed efficiently.
The government has specifically said that every cusec released from Mettur will be properly utilised for farmers’ welfare.
Joint monitoring teams comprising officials from the Water Resources Department, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Police and the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation have been formed to conduct round-the-clock inspections.
The teams will act against illegal pumping through motorised equipment, unauthorised water drawal and withdrawal beyond permitted quantities, particularly along the Cauvery and irrigation canals.
The focus is clear: prevent water meant for agriculture from disappearing before it reaches the fields that need it most.
Samba gets a second chance after Kuruvai setback
For Delta farmers, the release is more than an annual ritual—it is an opportunity to salvage a season already badly damaged by water shortages.
Farmers across the Delta had prepared their fields for Samba cultivation after many lost the Kuruvai crop because of delayed irrigation water. A farmer from Nagapattinam, V. Ramakrishnan, said farmers could not recover their Kuruvai losses but remained hopeful that Samba would help them regain at least part of their lost income.
“We have missed kuruvai crop entirely due to lack of Cauvery water. We cannot recover the lost income. However, we are hopeful of managing with samba and salvaging some of it through good yield,” he said.
But the welcome has come with a warning.
Several farmer organisations have questioned whether a 45-day release will be sufficient for Samba, a crop that generally requires a considerably longer irrigation window. Some farmer leaders have sought a longer release period and higher discharge so that water can reach the tail-end areas with greater certainty.
Farmer groups in Nagapattinam have particularly voiced concern that water takes several days to reach the tail-end areas and that stopping the release after 45 days could leave standing crops vulnerable before the northeast monsoon becomes reliable.
Government plea: Save water, choose short-duration crops
The government has acknowledged the difficult water situation, citing deficient southwest monsoon rainfall and the severe impact of El Niño.
Against this backdrop, farmers have been advised to use water judiciously and efficiently, adopt medium-duration paddy varieties requiring less water, and consider direct sowing of paddy and other water-saving cultivation practices.
The government’s broader message to farmers is encapsulated in its appeal:
“Let us use water economically; let us share it equitably up to the tail-end; let us make Samba cultivation a success.”
The State has also instructed district administrations and departmental officials to ensure regulated irrigation reaches the tail-end areas and that the available water produces maximum agricultural output.
45 days of water, but a 100-plus-day crop
The central challenge now is one of water management.
While the opening of Mettur has brought relief to farmers who feared losing another season, farmer organisations have pointed out that Samba cultivation can extend well beyond the proposed 45-day release window. One farmer leader argued that the crop could require 105–125 days and that assured discharge would be necessary for confident cultivation.
The government, however, has made it clear that the release will not be treated as a fixed mechanical exercise: storage and inflows will be monitored continuously and discharge adjusted according to irrigation requirements.
That leaves the success of Samba dependent on three moving factors—Mettur storage, continued Cauvery inflows and the arrival of the northeast monsoon.
From Mettur gates to Delta fields—the real countdown begins
The opening of Mettur therefore marks not the end of the water crisis but the beginning of a race against time.
For the government, the task is to enforce Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery entitlement, prevent leakage and illegal drawal, and stretch available water far enough to protect the Samba crop.
For farmers, the demand is more immediate: assured water, adequate discharge and delivery all the way to the tail-end fields.
The Chief Minister’s first opening of the historic Mettur dam since assuming office has thus acquired significance beyond the ceremonial turning of the sluice gates. As the Cauvery water begins its journey towards the Delta, the political promise is now being measured against a very practical agricultural test—whether the water actually reaches every farmer who is waiting for it.
