Salem August 14
Flood warning has been issued again by Salem District Administration as Public Works Department (PWD) officials are planning to release a very high quantum of water from the Mettur Dam which is expected to receive 1.40 lakh cusecs of water from Karnataka reservoirs.
According to reports, due to heavy rains in Karnataka and Kerala, very high quantum of surplus water is being released from the Krishnarajasagar and Kabini dams. An estimated quantum of 1.40 lakh cusecs is expected to flood the Cauvery river and reach Mettur Dam which is already touched full reservoir level. At 4.00 pm reading today, the Mettur dam's water level stood at 120.320 feet as against its full level of 120 feet and the storage was 93.982 TMCFT as against its full capacity of 93.45 TMCFT.
Thus the entire quantum of the surplus receipts will be discharged from the Mettur Dam. Public Works Department Officials are closely monitoring the inflows into the dam. As the huge quantum of nearly 1.40 lakh cusecs of water is to be released from the Mettur Dam, the people living in the low lying areas in the downstream and farmers have been cautioned to move to safer places in higher elevations.
Particularly the water way and villages lying in the bank of the Cauvery river such as the Mettur Dam's park, Chekanur and Kottaiyur boat jettys, Pollampatti and Nerinjipettai areas should be avoided. People should avoid fishing, bathing, washing, bathing livestock in the river and youngsters should avoid taking selfies in the river front, the collector has Rohini R Bajibakhere has warned in a statement today evening.
The public in low lying areas are being cautioned directly by tom-tom announcements and indirectly through the media. A 24 hours help line no.1077 has been activated in the Salem Collectorate to receive emergency calls from the public. The Disaster Management Cell in the Collectorate is also monitoring the flood situation closely, the collector has said.
CFCM Media
(Centre for Community Media)