Inflow dips to 1.81L cusecs, flooding unabated

COIMBATORE: Rains began to abate in Cauvery catchment areas bringing down the inflow into Stanley Reservoir in Mettur marginally to 1.81 lakh cusecs on Friday evening.

From 2.10 lakh cusecs on Thursday, the inflow came down to two lakh cusecs on Friday morning and further down to 1.81 lakh cusecs in the evening. As the dam continues to hold its full reservoir level since July 16, the entire inflow is let out resulting in heavy flooding in Western districts.

Most of the low-lying areas along Cauvery banks continued to remain flooded, while forcing hundreds of people to take refuge in temporary camps. In Erode, a total of 1,277 people from Kodumudi and Bhavani have been sheltered in camps after water entered their houses. In a further buildup of their trouble, 20,503 cusecs of water has been discharged from the Bhavani Sagar dam, which has reached its maximum storage of 102 feet as against its full reservoir level of 105 feet on Friday. A flood alert has been sounded to people living along the Bhavani River banks.

In Salem, though water receded on the arterial Mettur-Edappadi Road, vehicles were diverted by police and people were banned from going through a bridge across the flooded Cauvery near the 16 eye sluice of the dam. In the neighbouring Namakkal district, a 62-member team of National Disaster Response Team (NDRF) has been moved to the worst affected Komarapalayam and Pallipalayam localities to carry out rescue and relief works.

In The Nilgiris, normalcy was hit as heavy rains pounded the district triggering multiple tree falls. The fire and rescue personnel had a tough task in clearing the trees, which had fallen on Ooty-Gudalur Road, 4th hairpin bend on Kalhatty, Emerald Road, Gudalur-Mysore Road.

As a precaution following a ‘red alert,’ schools and colleges in the hill district remained shut for the third consecutive day. Around 80 people, including 32 children have been rescued and sheltered in three relief camps in the district. The ever buzzing tourist’s spots wore a deserted look due to rains. Forest Minister K Ramachandran visited the rain-ravaged areas and provided relief items to rescued people sheltered in camps.