Chennai: The Stanley Reservoir in Mettur, popularly known as the Mettur Dam and a lifeline for millions in Tamil Nadu, has witnessed a remarkable increase in water levels this year, due to the sustained rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon.

As of June 2, the dam is holding 81,983 million cubic feet (mcft) of water -- 87.71 per cent of its full storage capacity of 93,470 mcft. This marks a significant improvement compared to the same period last year, when the storage level stood at only 15,632 mcft, which was a mere 16.72 per cent of its total capacity.

Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) described the current storage as among

the highest in the past six years, second only to 2022 when the reservoir reached 89,431 mcft or 95.68 per cent of its capacity.