Hundreds of acres of kuruvai nurseries submerged in Thanjai

TIRUCHY: Several hundred acres of 20-day-old nurseries have submerged in Thanjavur district after the heavy downpour that lashed the Delta region from Thursday to Friday early hours.

The sudden downpour across the Delta was heavy especially in and around Thanjavur, which experienced waterlogging in several parts. Boothalur received 107 mm followed by Eachanviduthi 106 mm and Pattukkottai 70 mm and Vallam 60 mm in Thanjavur district. In Tiruvarur, Muthupettai recorded a maximum rainfall of 78 mm, Tiruvarur town 44 mm and Needamangalam received 36 mm.

As rain continued for the second day on Friday, paddy crops in around 100 acres had submerged in Boothalur area.

Farmers said though the kurvai harvest is under way in several areas, cultivation is going on in a few pockets and in Boothalur and Eachanviduthi areas, 20-day-old nurseries had submerged as the rainfall was heavy since Thursday evening.

Though in interior parts of Tiruvarur, water inundated paddy fields, farmers claimed that there was least possibility for damage to crops in the district. However, if rains continue for a few more days, there will severe damage to the crops, they added.

Mettur dam brimming for 7 days in row

Meanwhile, the Stanley Reservoir maintained its full reservoir level (FRL) for the seventh consecutive day on Friday. The level in the dam reached its FRL of 120 feet for the 42nd time on July 16. However, the inflow into the dam has begun to drop gradually as rains have receded in the Cauvery catchment areas.

From an inflow of 1.23 lakh cusecs on July 19, it nosedived sharply to 76,645 cusecs on Wednesday and further down to 42,000 cusecs on Friday morning. Therefore, the discharge from the dam was also brought down to 36,000 cusecs on Friday, from a maximum of 1.33 lakh cusecs on Tuesday.

The Bhavani Sagar dam in Erode is also gradually inching towards 100 feet mark following heavy downpour in the catchment areas in the Nilgiris. Water level in the dam stood at 99.27 feet as against its FRL of 105 feet.