Roads Minister EV Velu opens sluice gates of Sathanur Dam in Tiruvannamalai.
Water was released from the Sathanur dam on Saturday to irrigate around 50,000 acres of agricultural land downstream, covering Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi and Villupuram districts.
Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD), which manages the facility, said water was released into the river and distributed to left and right bank canals from the reservoir for 100 days (till May 11) for irrigation. The water irrigates 45,000 acres of agricultural land in Tiruvannamalai district alone.
Highways Minister ev velu opened the sluice gates of the dam, located 8 km downstream from the reservoir, in the presence of tiruvanamalai collector K. Tharpagaraj.
On average, 550 cusecs of water for agriculture are released from the dam per day. “Growers should use water judiciously as it is required for drinking in villages in the district,” said Mr. Tharpagaraj. Currently, the dam has a storage of 7,186 mcft against its capacity of 7,321 mcft.
On farmers’ request, water will be released in three phases before April 30, from Anaicut in Tirukoilur taluk of neighboring Kallakurichi district, to irrigate around 5,000 acres of agricultural land.
WRD officials said that every year 4 tmc is stored in the dam for irrigation. The dam also helps store water in 88 reservoirs in these districts. While water from the left bank of the dam 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 for domestic consumption of residents in at least 150 villages and major towns like Chengam and Tiruvannamalai without reducing the 56-feet storage level on board.
Published – 31 Jan 2026 21:08 IST
