Dams, while controversial for the way they deprive marine life of nutrients and destroy habitats, also help communities by preventing floods, providing renewable energy, and supplying farms with usable water.
To the benefit of farmers in India, the Mettur Dam reached its full reservoir level of 120 feet, according to the Hawk. Due to the large amount of stored water, officials are increasing the water release from the Mettur Dam reservoir from 26,000 to 58,000 cubic feet per second, thanks to steady rainfall throughout June.
Built in 1934, the Mettur Dam is the primary source of irrigation along the Cauvery Delta in Tamil Nadu, India. Farmers along the delta, as well as communities that depend on water, will benefit from this circumstance, though civilians living on low-lying land are being encouraged to prepare for some light flooding.
Per a report on Science Direct, dam irrigation is "essential" for human development and climate mitigation. It benefits both the environment and communities of people by providing crops with stored water to support pollinators and our food supply, especially in times of extreme drought.
It is worth noting that while the increase in stored water will help with agriculture, dams in general isolate species and cut off nutrients that are meant to be shared between ecosystems, depleting biodiversity in the waters they fragment, according to International Rivers.
These circumstances, both positive and negative, go to show that even what is good for the planet can also have its pitfalls.
Still, this happy change for a major water source in India is worth celebrating, as food is a necessity of life.
On the positive news for farmers around Tamil Nadu, one farmer, S. Marimuthu, said, "This is a huge relief for us. The water will help us take up Kuruvai cultivation with confidence," per the Hawk.
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