Unlike last year when Lord Kallazhagar entered a dry Vaigai riverbed, devotees this year are gearing up to witness the spectacle of the deity entering the flowing waters of the Vaigai on Monday morning as part of the Chithirai festival.
Due to the combined efforts of the Public Works Department, temple authorities and the district administration, water was released from the Vaigai dam on May 1 following Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam’s orders to provide water for the Chithirai festival as well as drinking water needs of Sivaganga district.
PWD officials said that 1,560 cusecs had been released every day over the last three days from the Vaigai dam and that the ‘rush flow’ had ensured that water reached the Vaigai riverbed ahead of the event.
“Water reached the riverbed near the A.V. bridge at 3 a.m. on Sunday and the discharge from the dam was lessened to 1,000 cusecs at 10 a.m. The discharge will be substantially lowered or completely stopped on Monday at 10 a.m. after the event of Lord Kallazhagar’s entry into the river is over,” he said.
Many passers-by on Sunday were seen looking at the flowing Vaigai from the A.V. Bridge.
Initial concerns that the debris of the Aruldosspuram causeway would hinder the flow of water were put to rest after it was ascertained by the PWD officials that the debris heaped on the riverbed would not be an obstruction.