Flood alert along Bhavani river

The Kunda dam in the Nilgiris has reached its full capacity due to heavy rain caused by the Southwest Monsoon, according to the Coimbatore district administration. About 12,000 cusecs of water released from Kunda dam is flowing into the Pillur dam, which too is fast reaching its maximum capacity. 

Considering the safety of the dam, Coimbatore Collector TN Hariharan has ordered the  release of 6,000 cusecs of water through two shutters. The Collector has also advised people living along the banks of the Bhavani to move to safer locations due to the increased flow. Meanwhile, as rains continued to pound Valparai nonstop over the last few days, Fire and Rescue personnel made announcements over loudspeakers urging people living along the Vazhaithottam river to move to higher areas over fears of possible flooding. With heavy rains continuing, the Sholayar dam, the second deepest in Asia, witnessed a sharp increase in water level. 

The dam’s water storage, which stood at 52.30 feet on Saturday, rose by a record 28 feet to 80 feet in a single day on Sunday. The capacity of the dam is 160 feet and with the increased inflow, the reservoir is expected to cross 100 feet in a couple of days. Meanwhile, a large number of tourists, who descended at the Monkey falls and Kovai Coutrallam, had to return disappointed due to the heavy water flow. Both the falls, major tourist attractions in Coimbatore, were closed for the second consecutive day due to the rain. As it was Sunday, there was a big crowd of visitors. Boating services were suspended in Ooty as a precautionary measure. All the tourist spots, including the Botanical Garden, Rose Park and Doddabetta, wore a deserted look over the weekend.