Water gushing through the Mukkombu dam at Cauvery and Kollidam came as a welcome sight for tourists and residents of the city and surrounding villages.
With Mettur reservoir clocking an inflow of 1.22 lakh cusecs, about 20,000 cusecs of water from the Cauvery was being diverted into the Coleroon. The Coleroon drains into the sea in an area between Nagapattinam and Cuddalore.
The police personnel have been stationed at several areas around the bank to prevent the public from taking a dip in the water because of the strong current and heavy flow of water that could prove to be fatal.
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A pleasant breeze and the sight of gushing waters makes the Mukkombu dam an ideal getaway.
Residents of Tiruchi and surrounding villages along the banks of the Cauvery rejoiced as they watched the water flow past.
“I lost all my crops in the drought. I am happy that the water flows swiftly at least now, so my next batch of crops will flourish,” said Selvaraj, a farmer from Pannaiyur who was in an upbeat mood. Families, couples, and individuals were seen enjoying themselves and an atmosphere of joy prevailed. “This is the first time we have come to visit Mukkombu. The pleasant breeze and nice atmosphere makes this an ideal picnic spot,” said Sharmila Thangapandi from Tiruchi, who had accompanied her husband and three-year-old daughter to visit the place.
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True to her words, some visitors were already making use of the shade under the trees in the park on the banks, by turning it into a picnic spot.
“Compared to a picnic by the sea shore in my city, the experience of having a riverside picnic near the dam is exhilarating,” said S. Malarkodi from Chennai, who had come with her extended family to visit Mukkombu.
Water has reached the surrounding areas of Iyyan Vaikkal and Sirugambur as well. At Sirugambur, the people of the village watched helplessly as a herd of cattle were trapped on a patch of land on the river as the water gushed around.