Chennai, July 28 (Reporter) Thanks to copious inflow due to heavy rains in the catchment areas of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday directed that Cauvery waters would be released from the Mettur Dam for irrigation at 3.00 pm. Ahead of releasing the water to enable the farmers to take up Kuruvai paddy cultivation, Mr Stalin held a review meeting district collectors, analysed the storage level in the Stanley reservoir and announced release of water for irrigation. An official release said in the first phase 12,000 cusecs of water would be released from the dam after taking all precautionary measures. It would be increased further depending upon the inflow. Mr Stalin said the water would be released for irrigating the Kuruvai crops and for the people to celebrate the ensuing traidtional "Aadi Perukku" festival with fervour and gaiety and store the water in lakes, tanks and other waterbodies. The Chief Minister directed the district collectors and other departments to take all steps to ensure that the farmers use the water judiciously, store it in tanks and lakes and recharge the ground water resources. Mr Stalin also directed the authorities to take all precautionary measures and make necessary security arrangements for the Aadi Perukku festival as people will congregate in large numbers in the Cauvery embankments to celebrate it. Since there was a possibility of release of large quantity of water from the dam, the authorities were directed to evacuate those living in riverbeds and shift them to safer places...////...