COIMBATORE: A flood alert has been issued to people living along the banks of the Bhavani River due to heavy discharge from the Pillur dam in Coimbatore.

The heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Kerala and the Nilgiris led to a sharp increase in inflow into the dam, which is currently just three feet short of reaching its full reservoir capacity of 100 feet.

The water level in the dam rose to 97 feet early Sunday morning, and the entire surplus inflow was discharged by opening four sluices to maintain its maximum capacity of 97 feet. At 3.30 am, around 8,000 cusecs were released from the dam, resulting in flooding in the Bhavani River.

Following an increase in water flow, the district administration has appealed to people living along the riverbank in Mettupalayam, Sirumugai, and other low-lying areas to move to safety. The villagers were also warned against bathing, washing clothes and fishing in the flooded waters.