Flood alert sounded for villages on Cauvery bank, Mettur catchment

SALEM: With very heavy inflows expected into Mettur reservoir near here in the wake of large quantities of water exceeding one lakh cusecs being released from Kabini and other reservoirs in upper riparian Karnataka, the Salem district administration on Saturday sounded a flood alert to all villages along the Mettur catchment area, hamlets in low-lying areas near the Stanley reservoir and for villages along the banks of the Cauvery river that could be in spate soon. The Salem district collector S. A. Raman, said in an announcement here that while the water level in the Mettur dam stood at 57.160 feet on Saturday morning against is full level of 120 feet, the continuing heavy rains in the catchment areas in Kerala and Karnataka, was leading to larger volumes let out from Karnataka. As Mettur reservoir will consequently get much higher inflows in the days to come, Mr. Raman said people including farmers along with their live stock, in villages close to the catchment upstream of Mettur dam like Moolakadu, Pannavadi, Govindapadi, etc. Mr. Raman said the PWD was constantly watching the water level at Mettur, both inflow and outflow, and people, particularly youth, have been advised to desist from fishing, or taking bath or tourists taking selfies in the river channels at various points around the Mettur dam.