Flood alert, evacuation in 11 TN districts

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has alerted 11 districts to be ready for looding as rivers overlowed with the gushing Cauvery water and the incessant rain.

Populations along the banks of the Cauvery river and its tributary Bhavani lost entire cultivation though mass evacuation saved the lives of thousands of people. The looding was the result of heavy discharge of surplus water from Mettur dam.

The alert has been sounded in Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Ariyalur districts.

In the neighbouring Tamil-majority Union Territory of Puducherry, a lood alert has been issued to Karaikal district.

Karnataka had been releasing water stored in its dams from the Cauvery though it has in the past refused to comply with court orders to do so. Record volume of excess water was being released from Mettur following discharge from dams in Karnataka, affecting several villages, oficials said.

Water had to be discharged from the Bhavani Sagar reservoir as it almost touched the full level of 105 feet. That inundated the low-lying areas in Erode.

Owing to heavy rain in the upper riparian state of Karnataka, water inlow into Mettur dam was increased to 206,000 cusecs — 86,900 cusecs from Kabini and 120,000 cusecs from Krishnarajasagar dam. In the next two days, the inlow is expected to swell to 210,000 cusecs. Outlow from Mettur dam has hence been stepped up from 165,000 lakh cusecs to 170,000 lakh cusecs.

The gushing Cauvery water has blocked transport services on the MetturEdappadi road in Salem.

The Tirunelveli district administration has banned bathing in all the falls of Courtallam for the fourth day, due to heavy loods.

As excess water is being let out of Sitraru and Pechiparai dams in Kanyakumari, the Kodayaru river is rising. Since the Kodayaru is in spate, lood water is gushing down Tiruparappu falls.

In Karur, people living in low-lying areas like Thavittupalayam were moved to safe locations as the Mayanur check dam brimmed.

Valparai, a hilly area in In Coimbatore district, has seen as rain waters entering nearly 500 houses. An elderly woman was washed away in lood waters and a search was on to trace her.

Holiday was declared for schools in Valparai and Pollachi taluk.