Flood warning issued for 11 delta districts of TN as Mettur dam nears full capacity

Chennai, Aug 18 (IANS) Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Department (WRD) on Monday issued a flood warning to 11 districts in the state's Cauvery delta region following a sharp increase in water discharge from Karnataka's reservoirs into the Mettur dam.

In its advisory, the Water Resources Department said that the combined discharge from the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini dams has been stepped up to 95,000 cusecs, causing heavy inflow into the Mettur reservoir.

With the dam rapidly filling up, officials expect it to reach its full capacity of 120 feet soon. Once this level is attained, surplus water will be released into the Cauvery River.

The department has warned that between 50,000 and 70,000 cusecs of surplus water may initially be discharged from Mettur, with the quantum likely to rise further depending on inflows.

Residents living along the banks of the Cauvery and in low-lying areas of Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Ariyalur, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Cuddalore districts have been advised to move to safer areas and take precautionary measures to safeguard life and property.

On Monday, the water level at Mettur dam stood at 117.56 feet against its full capacity of 120 feet. The storage stood at 89.63 TMC, close to the maximum capacity of 93.47 TMC. The inflow rose to 7,435 cusecs, up from 6,223 cusecs on Sunday.

Officials said that the water discharge into the Cauvery for delta irrigation was raised to 35,000 cusecs from 22,000 cusecs the previous day. For canal irrigation, 500 cusecs continue to be maintained.

"Discharge will be gradually increased depending on inflows, and once the dam touches full capacity, the entire inflow will be let out," a senior Water Resources Department official said.

The state government has also directed district administrations to be on high alert and ensure that relief and evacuation measures are ready in case of flooding.

With heavy rains predicted in Karnataka and the catchment areas of the Cauvery, authorities are closely monitoring the situation to avoid loss of lives and damage to crops in the delta region.

--IANS

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