1.95 lakh cusecs discharged from Mettur; over 1K in relief camps

COIMBATORE: Over 1,000 persons were displaced and sheltered in temporary relief centres in Namakkal, Erode and Salem districts as their houses were flooded following a surge in water release into River Cauvery.

Officials said that around 600 persons from Kumarapalayam and Pallipalayam areas in Namakkal and about 510 persons from Bhavani and Kodumudi in Erode district have been sheltered in relief camps as water entered into their houses located along Cauvery banks. Further, around 100 persons have been moved to camps as incessant rains led to flooding in Salem.

Meanwhile, the discharge from Stanley Reservoir in Mettur surged to 1.95 lakh cusecs on Sunday evening. The discharge from the dam, which got filled up on October 12 for second time, rose sharply from 85,000 cusecs on Saturday morning to 1.70 lakh cusecs on Sunday morning and further to 1.95 lakh cusecs in the evening. Flood alert issued to Cauvery basin districts continues.

Due to the surge in water, traffic has been stopped on the Mettur-Edappadi National Highways due to overflowing water. Similarly, vehicle movement from Anthiyur to Bargur and Mysuru in Karnataka has been suspended as the Bargur Road remains flooded. Also, heavy rains resulted in tree falls and mud slips in more than 10 spots on the Bargur Hills, which also led to blocking of vehicle movement towards Mysuru. Farmers were in distress as crops cultivated in large areas in these districts had drowned.