Flooding at Hogenakkal, coracle services suspended

COIMBATORE: Coracle services were suspended at Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri on Sunday following a surge in water flow due to rains in Cauvery catchment areas.

District Collector K Santhi issued an order suspending coracle services and barred tourists from bathing in the falls as water flow surged to 17,000 cusecs on Sunday, 6 am.

From 10,000 cusecs on Saturday, Hogenakkal saw an increase in water flow after widespread rains pounded Cauvery catchment areas and nearby areas like Denkanikottai, Anjetty, Biligundlu, Rasimanal and in forest areas of Hogenakkal over the last few days.

Following an increase in water flow, the authorities of the water resources department began to monitor the inflow around the clock. As water flow is on the rise, joint teams of police, revenue department, fire service personnel, and home guards have taken up patrol along the Cauvery river banks to prevent people from entering the flooded water body.

Because of the sudden suspension of coracle services, tourists who thronged the falls in large numbers for the weekend had to return disappointed.

In Salem, water entered more than 100 houses due to torrential rains that poured all through the night. Continuous rains inundated several areas like Mullai Nagar, Sugumar Colony, Kalarampatti, Pallapatti and Kondalampatti.

Residents were forced to spend sleepless nights over inundation inside their houses. Water also entered into Pallapatti police station causing hardship to police personnel on duty at night.