MADURAI: Water was released from Vaigai dam on Friday in view of the Chithirai festival currently underway in Madurai. Lord Kallazhagar is scheduled to enter the Vaigai river on April 23 as the single-most significant event of the annual Chithirai festival. The Public Works Department released 1,000 cusecs of water from the dam at 1 pm.

For the first two days initially, the same amount of water would be released and the flow would be reduced gradually in the coming days.

A total of 216 mcft of water would be released for days until April 23 to ensure that the water flowed in the Vaigai river underneath Albert Victor Bridge, the programme venue.

Water level in the dam with a capacity of 71 feet stood at 59 feet, sources said.