Special Correspondent
“Close vigil being maintained along banks of river; no problem in managing situation”
Thanjavur: A flood warning has been issued in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts following heavy discharge into the Coleroon, owing to copious flow into the Mettur dam.
According to Public Works Department engineers, around 86,000 cusecs of water is flowing in the Kollidam and it is expected to touch 1.3 lakh either on Saturday night or Sunday.
A close vigil was being maintained along the banks of the river though there was no problem in managing the situation, Asokan, Executive Engineer of the Cauvery Division, said.
C. Vijayaraj Kumar, Thanjavur Collector, said that a flood warning had been issued to the people residing along the banks of the Coleroon and also alongside the Cauvery and the Vennar.
The engineers said that 75,000 cusecs is released into the Coleroon from the Upper Anicut. About 11,000 cusecs is released from the Grand Anicut into the Kollidam. About 9,500 cusecs is released into the Cauvery from Grand Anicut and 8500 cusecs into the Vennar.
About 3500 cusecs is released into the Grand Anicut canal.
Meanwhile, the Mettur dam continued to receive 1,10,000 cusecs. The discharge from the dam is 1.08 lakh cusecs. The level stood at 122 ft. The storage is 97 tmc ft.
“About one lakh cusecs is being released from the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam and 35,000 cusecs from the Kabini Dam on Saturday. The water will be realised at Mettur dam in a couple of days,” the engineers said.
The people of Melaramanallur, an island village in the middle of the Kollidam off Kabisthalam in Thanjavur district, said that their village was cut off as there was a heavy flow of water on either side of their village in Kollidam.
“We used to reach Papanasam and Kabisthalam using floats. With a heavy water flow now, there is no way we can get in touch with Papansam or Kabisthalam. Water is slowly rising and we have put sand bags to prevent further flow into the village,” said G. Thiruvenkadam, a resident of the village.
