Cauvery water released from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur for irrigation in delta areas reached the Upper Anicut (Mukkombu) on the outskirts of Tiruchi on Monday afternoon.
In a symbolic measure, a group of enthusiastic farmers waited for a few hours in the morning to give a traditional welcome to the Cauvery water at Mukkombu. However, the fresh water flowed down the regulator only around 2 p.m.
Officials and farmers led by R.Baskar, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, offered flowers to the Cauvery water at Mukkombu. A group of farmers led by Puliyur S. Nagarajan, president, farmers’ wing, Tamil Maanila Congress, held a prayer and showered paddy seeds and flowers to the river.
By afternoon, 500 cusecs of water was realised at the Mukkombu. However, the inflow began increasing steadily from 3 p.m. and it went up to 2,000 cusecs by 5 p.m.
PWD officials said that the dry riverbed of the Cauvery could have absorbed a lot of water, thereby delaying the arrival of water to Mukkombu. Water would flow past Tiruchi on Monday night. With about 10,000 cusecs being released at Mettur, the realisation at Mukkombu is expected to go up to around 8,000 cusecs by Tuesday.
It would reach the Grand Anicut in the early hours on Tuesday after which water would be released for irrigation in the delta.
