ERODE: The Bhavanisagar reservoir, the lifeline of Erode district, has been witnessing rapid rise in its water level in the past four days, thanks to heavy monsoon rains in North Kerala and in dam’s catchment area in Nilgiris.
Official sources told DC on Thursday that the water level in the Bhavanisagar dam, which stood at 62 feet against its full level of 105 feet, has in the past four days surged to 74.13 feet by 6 pm today. The storage has also gone up to 12.77 tmcft against the reservoir’s full capacity of 38.20 tmcft.
The rising water level in the dam has brought cheer to western district farmers, as Bhavanisagar water feeds about 2.47 lakh acres of agriculture land in Erode, Tirupur and Karur districts. Farmers feel that due to the heavy rains in the dam’s catchment areas, chances of opening the reservoir for letting out water for irrigation have brightened now.
While the inflow into the dam this evening was 46,316 cusecs, the total outflow till now has been kept at minimal 205 cusecs including 200 cusecs into the river for drinking water purposes and another five cusecs into the Lower Bhavani canal. Almost 53,800 cusecs are being discharged into the river from Pillur reservoir near Coimbatore.
Meanwhile, in the dense forest lands adjoining Bhavanisagar reservoir, water is flowing above the danger mark in Maayaaru river, that people in places like Thengumarahada are forced to use coracles to cross over from one side of the forest to another, in the absence of a bridge over Maayaru.
