CUMBUM: Farmers who depend on water from Mullaiperiyar dam are confused over whether water would be released for irrigation on June 1, as maintenance work is in progress. Only when the storage level is below 110 feet, would water be released in the last week of June or first week of July. Presently, the dam has a storage level of 119.10 ft with 2,576 million cubic feet. Paddy is raised for two seasons on 14,767 acres in Uthamapalayam, Bodi, Theni and other blocks in Cumbum valley of Theni using water from Mullaiperiyar dam. Usually, water would be released on June 1 for the first crop. Water was released on March first week for irrigation in TN. Later, the release happened only for drinking purposes or during festival season. Power generation has been suspended for three months at the Lower Camp power unit.During the past 20 days PWD officials were busy placing steel bars to prevent blocks on canals carrying water from the dam via Thekkadi and from Thekkadi through tunnels. The welding of the bars started a while ago and now workers are busy piling up bags of sand to prevent water flow. So, it is unlikely that water would be released on June 1. Farmers, on their part, say they would be able to raise two crops this year only if water was released on June 1.
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