Thanjavur: Seven of total 45 vents in the regulator across Kollidam (north branch) at Mukkombu (Upper Anicut) near Tiruchy collapsed and were washed away in the floods on Wednesday evening.
Following this a flood alert has been sounded for villagers alongside Kollidam river.
Traffic has been stopped on the roads from Gunaseelam and Salem. PWD engineers rushed to the spot and are looking at how to manage the water flow.
One sliver lining is that only 50,000 cusecs of water is released into Kollidam as water released from Mettur has come down. Had it been a few days ago, when nearly two lakh cusecs of water was released from north and south branches of Kollidam here, damage would have been unimaginable said farmers of Tiruchy district.
However they said that PWD engineers claimed that the vents were strong a few days back. But now it has been proved otherwise, farmers said.
Upper Anicut was built by Sir Arthur cotton, a British engineer based on the model of Grand Anicut built by Karikal Cholan.Kollidam branches out from Cauvery here and the two rivers form the Srirangam island again to meet at Grand Anicut.
The news came as a shock to the people who heaved a sigh of relief with intensity of flood coming down on Wednesday.
