Rain abates in Kovai, but rivers still in spate

However, the catchment areas of river Noyyal and Bhavani witnessed good downpour resulting in flooding along their course. The outflow from Pillur dam, which peaked to 21,000 cusecs on June 12, gradually came down to 10,000 cusecs on Wednesday due to lesser rain.

Yet, flooding continued in Bhavani for the fifth consecutive day. Devotees visiting the Vanabadrakaliamman temple, on the banks of the river in Mettupalayam, were warned against venturing into the gushing water with a siren every half-an-hour and warnings made through speakers, on behalf of the temple management. As it was New Moon Day, a large number of devotees visited the temple. They usually bathe in the river. The Fire and Rescue personnel patrolled along the river to ensure none entered the water.

Meanwhile, around 50 houses at Sarojini Nagar in Selvapuram were flooded by the Noyyal river flowing through Rajavaikal in the evening. Residents charged that the water mixed with sewage entered their houses causing unbearable stench, besides bringing insects and poisonous snakes. They demanded that the civic body build a wall along the Rajavaikal to prevent water from entering their neighbourhood.

As issues of water logging surfaced in many areas, Corporation officials led by its Commissioner Vijayakarthikeyan held a meeting to discuss monsoon preparedness. At the meet, it was decided to desilt all waterways to prevent waterlogging and flooding.

With continuous rain, the water level in the Siruvani dam, a major source of drinking water to Coimbatore, surged to 39 feet as against its full capacity of 50 feet. The increase in water level by 14.5 feet in the last two days alone has come as a relief to water managers. The catchment areas of Siruvani recorded 208mm in about 24 hours as at 8am.

The rain also brought good inflow into tanks in the district. “The Vellalore tank is receiving water after 15 years due to desilting of Rajavaikal. The ground water level will increase considerably due to filling up of the tanks,” said Manikandan of Kulangal Protection Committee, an NGO.