45 moved in boats to safety from marooned areas in Vellore

Officials said that while 40 persons were moved to relief camps, 12 others refused to come and hence were ferried by boat with the help of police on Friday.

Collector B Kumaravel Pandian said that a total of 403 persons, 150 men, 176 women and 77 children, belonging to 121 families were relocated to camps from their water-logged houses in each of the seven panchayat unions in Vellore district.

Copious rain had resulted in the district’s 101 PWD tanks having a total storage of 1.64 tmc against the full level of 2.31 tmc, officials said.

The Mordana dam had reached its full level of 37.72 feet, while the Rajathoppu dam in KV Kuppam facility has storage of 21.25 feet against the FRL (full reservoir level) of 24.57 feet.

Among irrigation tanks, the Saduperi, Seruvanji and Unai Vaniyambadi tanks were surplussing, while the one at Ariyur on the outskirts of Vellore had only 5 per cent water, officials said. The district’s major rivers the Palar, Ponnai, Agaram and Peiar were presently having a good flow, but less than their full capacity, officials averred.

Of the 133 minor irrigation tanks controlled by the rural development department, 43 were full, while 11 had 75 per cent storage and 12 had 50 per cent. While the Palar and Ponnai anaicuts were discharging 9,143 cusecs and 11,076 cusecs respectively, the discharge was expected to be stepped up to 11,000 cusec and 15,000 cusec shortly, officials said.

Mahendravadi irrigation tank in Nemili taluk in Ranipet district started surplussing resulting in police being posted at both ends of the ground level causeway to streamline traffic. Residents of 8 villages on riverbanks have been advised to move to camps set up by the administration.