A flood alert has been issued to people living on the banks of the river Bhavani in western districts of Tamil Nadu even as the Bhavani Sagar dam, built across it, has surplussed in the wake of copious rains in catchment areas, officials said on Monday.
“The Bhavani Sagar Dam water level is at Full Reservoir Level and there has been heavy rain in catchment areas of Bhavani Sagar Dam and there is likelihood of heavy rain in the next 24 hours. Precautionary steps may be taken and release done accordingly from the dam as per rule curve after informing the downstream areas.” an advisory issued to Erode, Namakkal and Karur by R Saravanan, Executive Engineer, Southern Rivers Division, Central Water Commission stated.
The water level in the Lower Bhavani Project reservoir reached its maximum of 105 feet and the storage crossed 32 tmc feet against maximum of 32.8 tmc ft, prompting the Public Works Department authorities to more than triple discharge from 3,500 cusecs to 11,950 cusecs on Monday morning.
Consequently, Revenue officials released a flood alert and advised people living on the banks of River Bhavani to move to safer places, officials said.
The dam has filled up for the sixth time this year following heavy rains in the catchment areas in hilly Nilgiris district and Mettupalayam in neighbouring Coimbatore district.
Meanwhile, various farmers associations appealed for the release of water for irrigation of second turn crops in the Lower Bhavani Project ayacut areas.
Several parts of Tamil Nadu have been lashed by the northeast monsoon rains in the past few days.
Source: The News Minute