High alert as 1.7L cusecs of water flows out of Mettur dam

Salem: The discharge from Mettur dam was increased to 1.7 lakh cusecs on Wednesday, and the district authorities downstream were instructed to put in place precautionary measures to handle the flood situation in the Cauvery.Officials from the state water resources department said that the water released from the Mettur dam could be increased further as they anticipate a higher inflow into the dam from Karnataka.The officials citing their Karnataka counterparts said that about 2.2 lakh cusecs of water are being let into the Cauvery from Krishnarajasagar and Kabini reservoirs in Karnataka. The inflow into Mettur dam was increased to 1.7lakh cusecs from 1.25 lakh cusecs. The storage in the dam continues to remain at its full reservoir level of 120ft.The inflow into Mettur dam increased sharply during the early hours of the day, requiring a proportionate hike in discharge.From 82,000 cusecs on Tuesday night, water release was increased to 1.25 lakh cusecs on Wednesday morning which was further increased to 1.5 lakh cusecs by evening. “We increased it to 1.7 lakh cusecs in the night. We have issued a warning to people living along the Cauvery banks not to venture near the river,” an official said.Meanwhile, the low-level bridge across Cauvery at Komarapalayam in Erode was closed, and people living in nearby areas were shifted to a relief camp, anticipating heavy flow.Erode collector Raja Gopal Sunkara said that 18 villages along the banks of the Cauvery were identified as flood prone. Some villagers, living close to the banks which are prone to inundation during heavy flow, have vacated their houses and shifted to relief camps. As many as 77 relief camps have been set up in schools and marriage halls to accommodate people in case of emergency, he said. Fire and rescue services personnel have been deployed along the banks in Komarapalayam and Pallipalayam. Meanwhile, chief secretary Shiv Das Meena held a videoconference with collectors from delta districts and western ghats on Wednesday. He instructed them to take precautionary measures for flooding in Cauvery and rain in the ghats, respectively.A statement from the government said that the chief secretary asked Nilgiris authorities to put in place measures to handle the aftermath of landslides.Landslide-prone places should be identified and precautionary measures should be taken, he said. He also asked the district collector to ensure that tourists do not visit the hill station until the rain situation improves. As for Cauvery delta districts, he asked the collectors to prevent people from getting close to the river, evacuate people living close to the riverbank, and ensure basic amenities in the relief camps.