Vaigai dam begins water release for irrigation, five south T.N. districts to benefit

TN govt orders release of water from Vaigai dam to benefit 5 districts: 413 mcft for Old Vaigai ayacut area II, 1,004 mcft for Vaigai ayacut area III, 229 mcft for Vaigai ayacut area I. WRD engineers alert District Collectors to ensure people stay away from river during release.

The Tamil Nadu government has ordered the release of water for irrigation from the Vaigai dam from Monday, December 11, 2023, to benefit five southern districts: Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram.

According to a press release from the Assistant Executive Engineer, Vaigai Dam, 413 mcft of water would be released for the Old Vaigai ayacut area II, from December 11 to 14, while the Vaigai ayacut area III would get 1,004 mcft from December 16 to 20. Vaigai ayacut area I will get 229 mcft water from December 22 to 26.

Depending on the availability of water and the forecast from the India Meteorological Department, the inflow into the reservoir would be monitored and accordingly, water would be released.

With the release having commenced, the Water Resources Department (WRD) engineers have alerted the District Collectors of the five districts to ensure that people stay away and do not venture into the river during the above periods, the press release said.