Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has done something very sweet when he went to visit Mettur on Tuesday. He gifted his Dior glasses to an elderly woman when he met her during the trip.
Vijay arrived in Salem district to open the gates of the Mettur Dam and release water for Samba cultivation in the Cauvery Delta. Samba is a major paddy crop grown in Tamil Nadu.
Amid the official proceedings, his brief interaction with an elderly woman became one of the most striking moments of the visit.
The Chief Minister removed his glasses and gifted them to her. Moments later, she was seen wearing the oversized frames, holding his arm and walking beside him.
THE elderly woman, Chellam, said, “I was surprised when he came and stood next to me. I told him how happy I was to see him, and he gifted me these sunglasses.”
VIDEO | Salem: Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay gifts the sunglasses he was wearing to an elderly woman, Chellam, who says, “I was surprised when he came and stood next to me. I told him how happy I was to see him, and he gifted me these sunglasses.”
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 1, 2026
(Full video available on PTI… pic.twitter.com/ppg5zpToYO
Smiling, she waved to the people gathered along the route as Vijay guided her through the crowd.
For a few moments, the ceremonial visit took on a warmer, more personal character as the elderly woman walked beside the Chief Minister wearing his glasses.
Mettur Water Released For Samba Cultivation
The Chief Minister later opened the Mettur Dam gates to release water for Samba paddy cultivation during the 2026–27 season and meet drinking water requirements across the Cauvery basin.
The government said the dam’s storage level and inflow would be monitored continuously, with water released in phases according to irrigation requirements.
Joint monitoring teams will act against illegal pumping from the Cauvery and its canals, unauthorised extraction and the drawing of water beyond permitted limits.
The government also stressed the need to conserve the limited water available while safeguarding Samba cultivation.
Farmers have been advised to choose medium-duration paddy varieties that require less water and adopt water-saving methods such as direct seeding.
The government said it was also pursuing legal and administrative measures to protect Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water and the rights of Cauvery Delta farmers.
Water To Reach 12 Cauvery Delta Districts
The water discharged from the dam will reach about 12 districts, including the primary beneficiary farmers in Thanjavur, considered the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu.
On the premises of the reservoir, the Chief Minister also inspected a photo exhibition on the iconic Mettur Dam and the journey of the River Cauvery.
The release was undertaken keeping in mind drinking water and irrigation needs, while accepting requests from farmers and the general public, the government said. It added that sufficient rainfall was not received in the Cauvery basin during the southwest monsoon season.
The government said water released from the Mettur Dam, depending on the storage level and inflow, will continue for 45 days starting September 1.
Farmers were requested to use the available water economically and systematically and carry out cultivation activities in accordance with official advice.
Officials were also tasked with ensuring that water reached the tail-end areas and that every available drop yielded maximum irrigation benefit, with the aim of achieving more crop per drop.
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