Amid heavy rain K’taka, TN to open dams
CHENNAI: As of now the situation is fine, but we have sounded an alert for all district collectors ... The inflow of water from Karnataka is heavy and any addition to this will flood Tamil Nadu. As a precautionary measure, flood alert protocol is in place.
When it rains heavily in Karnataka, it pours into Tamil Nadu. The water managers of Tamil Nadu, who were running behind the judiciary and the Centre seeking Cauvery water, are now on their toes sounding flood alerts in low-lying areas of four TN districts.
Just a month ago, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed the state’s inability to release water from TN’s dams for the short-term paddy cultivation in delta districts and blamed neighbouring Karnataka for not releasing water from the CAuvery river.
The state also announced a ₹115 crore package to help farmers take up cultivation using available water resources.
But now it seems that the dams ought to be opened, both in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, or else the state will face floods. Of the 14 major reservoirs in Karnataka, almost 12 are full and in case of riparian Tamil Nadu, three major K SATHYAGOPAL, commissioner, Tamil Nadu disaster management authority
dams – Mettur, Bhavani Sagar and Amaravathi are filling up fast.
To prevent any breach, minor dams like Pillur and Sholayar in TN were opened on Wednesday. Tirunelveli and Dharmapuri district collectors also banned tourist entry into Courtrallam waterfalls and suspended coracle services in Hogenakkal.
According to official sources, more than 50,000 cusecs of water is released into Tamil Nadu by Karnataka and Kerala on Wednesday. Further Cauvery catchment areas and all the four tiger reserves in Tamil Nadu are also receiving good rains swelling the local dams, bringing rivers back into action. “As of now
the situation is fine, but we have sounded an alert for all district collectors to keep the evacuation team ready. The inflow of water from Karnataka is heavy and any addition to this will flood Tamil Nadu. As a precautionary measure, flood alert protocol is in place,” K Sathyagopal, commissioner, Tamil Nadu Disaster Management Authority said.
“With Karnataka dams brimming due to the active monsoon, delta districts are also put on alert. Already the Bhavani River is in spate due to good rains in Nilgiris and Coimbatore. Rains in Kerala also bring inflow into Theni catchment areas. We are closely watching the rainfall in southern states,” Sathyagopal added.
State minister for handloom O S Manian, who is from delta region said that the state will soon take steps to release water from Mettur as the dam was fast filling up.
According to Public Works Department sources, 18,000 cusecs of water is released into Bhavani River and a flood warning has been sounded in Erode and Sathyamangalam areas. With Karnataka releasing water from Kabini and Krishna Rajasagar dam, downstream Mettur is filling up fast. In the past one month, the water level in the Mettur had increased by 30 feet. On June 11, Mettur’s storage was just around 40 feet and now it is 70 feet, sources said adding that if this inflow continues, the dam will reach its full level of 120 feet by the end of this month setting a new record. Meanwhile, Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai on Wednesday warned heavy to very heavy rain for isolated places over ghat areas of Theni, Dindigul, Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts of TN.