A flood alert was sounded along the banks of Cauvery river and bathing banned in the famous tourist spot of Hogenakkal waterfall in the district today following release of surplus water from dams in neighbouring Karnataka into the inter-state river.
District Collector P Amudha issued the flood alert orders in Hogenakkal, about 45 km from here, asking people living in low lying areas to move to safer places.
She said coracle operation and fishing were also banned in the river until further order, while tourists have been instructed not to take bath in Hogenakkal waterfall.
The alert was being sounded in Hogenakkal, Ootamalai and Biligundalu forest areas.
Due to the release of excess water from Krishnaraj Sagar and Kabini dams in Karnataka, the water level has been steadily increasing in Cauvery, which enters Tamil Nadu at Hogenakkal.
A team of officials from Revenue, PWD, Police and Forest Departments were being deployed to monitor the situation, she said.
An inflow of over 7,900 cusecs was measured on Wednesday at Biligundalu water gauging station on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, officials said.
