Discharge from lakes only during day, assures KKSSR Ramachandran

“In the last 24 hours, the state received an average of 27.1 cm of rainfall. Nagapattinam district topped with a rainfall of 271.68 mm,” the Minster told reporters after inspecting the activities at the disaster management control room.

Out of 14,138 lakes, 3,691 have reached their full capacity and 9,153 lakes have crossed 50 per cent capacity. All the 33,773 fishing boats have returned to the shore safely and no fisherman is left at mid sea, the Minister informed.

Conveying that the low pressure area has intensified into a low pressure zone and it is expected to cross the shore between Mahabalipuram and Sriharikota, the Minister said owing to its effect, northern districts like Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kallakurichi, Salem, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai would experience very heavy rainfall on Thursday.

Heavy rain is expected in Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Dharmapuri, Erode, Krishnagiri Coimbatore, The Nilgiris, Namakkal and Tiruchy districts. To undertake relief works during the monsoon rains, 10 companies of NDRF have been sent to various districts, including three each to Chennai and Chengalpattu and one each to Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Madurai and Tiruvallur.

Revenue Minister Ramachandran further said that 12 persons have died in the last four days due to the monsoon rain, across the state. Deaths were reported from different districts like Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchy and Theni districts.

Meanwhile, 3,569 cusecs was being discharged from the Vaigai dam on Wednesday. The level in the dam stood at 69.26 feet against its full capacity of 71 ft. The dam had an inflow of 3,457 cusecs, sources said.

Much to the delight of farmers, water reached the brim in two kanmois at Moopanpatti near Kovilpatti and Eppodhum Vendran tank in Ottapidaram taluk of Thoothukudi district had also started flowing over the walls. Thoothukudi Collector K Senthil Raj, when contacted, said of the total 639 tanks in the district, 114 have reached 76 per cent of their capacity.