Chennai, May 19 -- Thanks to the sufficient storage level and the inflow expected to go up further due to the advancement of the South West monsoon, the sluice gates of the Mettur Dam would be opened on the traditional date of June 12 for irrigation in the Cauvery delta districts of Tamil Nadu.

This was announced by Chief Minister M K Stalin after holding a meeting with senior officials on the prepardeness of the measures taken to tackle the South West monsoon rains and the storage level in the Stanley reservoir on Monday.

This announcement brought smiles on the faces of farmers, who are gearing up for the cultivation of short-term Kuruvai crop, solely depending on the Cauvery water for irrigation in the delta districts--Trichy, Than...