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. should move to elevated safer places in a bid to protect life and property.
Mr. Raman said Police, Revenue, PWD, Fire and Rescue Services and other related departments were taking all precautionary steps to meet any eventuality in the event of any flood-like situation should water be released in huge quantities from the reservoir in the days to come. The Revenue and Fisheries department personnel are also informing villages near Mettur and those along the Cauvery banks with 'tom-tom', advising people to move to safer places.
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.
