Heavy discharge from Mettur dam floods many areas in Erode

COIMBATORE: As the discharge from Stanley Reservoir in Mettur clocked above 1.4 lakh cusecs, more than 100 houses in Bhavani and Kodumudi areas in Erode were flooded on Wednesday.

Acting swiftly, officials of the Revenue Department shifted people from flooded houses to temporary relief camps set up in schools and private marriage halls. Officials from the department inspected the flooded river and directed staff to make required arrangements for the stay and food of rescued people in temporary shelters.

In Kodumudi, as many as 165 people, including 50 children from 44 families from the flooded ‘Iluppai Thoppu’ area were moved to temporary relief camps. Similarly, houses in Indira Nagar, Kalaimagal Street and Manimegalai Street in Komarapalayam in Namakkal were flooded due to surge in Cauvery waters.

Due to heavy flooding, the Dharmapuri district administration continued with its ban on bathing and coracle services in Hogenakkal services. People living in low-lying villages along the river banks at Ootamalai, Alambadi, Chatram and Mudalai Pannai were asked to move to temporary shelters put up by the district administration.

Also, a joint team of the Revenue Department, Fire and Rescue Service and police patrolled along the flooded Cauvery River to prevent people from entering the gushing waters during ‘Aadi Perukku’ festival, which rather turned out to be a low-key affair in the Western districts.