The Water Resources Department (WRD) has stopped the release of water from the Sathanur dam to irrigate around 50,000 acres of farmland downstream, covering Tiruvannamalai, Kallakuruchi and Villupuram districts, owing to a steep decline in the water level in the facility. 

Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD), which maintains the facility, said that water was released into the river and distributed to the left and right bank canals from the pick-up dam for 100 days since January 31, when the sluice gates were opened. Since then, on an average, 550 cusecs of water were released from the dam every day for farming. It was released in phases to benefit farmers in Tiruvannamalai, Tirukoilur, and Kallakuruchi.

Water level in the dam has dwindled as the region has been witnessing searing heat of around 40 degree Celsius. At present, the dam has 1,361 mcft of water as against its total capacity of 7,321 mcft. In other words, the dam has a total water storage of 18%, which could be utilised only for domestic consumption in the district.

WRD officials said that every year, 4 tmc of water is stored in the dam for irrigation. The dam also helps to store water in 88 tanks along the route in these districts. While water from the dam’s Left Bank Canal feeds 30 tanks in Tiruvannamalai and 10 in Villupuram, the Right Bank Canal is connected to 48 tanks in Villupuram.

The dam also provides at least 2 tmc of water for domestic consumption of residents in at least 150 villages and major towns like Chengam and Tiruvannamalai, without reducing its deck storage level of 56 ft.