TN: Flood alert in Coimbatore, Nilgiris districts as Pillor dam brims

Coimbatore, Oct 18: With incessant rains lashing Coimbatore and the hilly Nilgiris districts, all major water bodies are filling up fast and the district administration on Friday issued a flood alert to those living on the banks of Bhavani river, official sources said.

An alert has been sounded to the people living on the banks of Bhavani river in Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts, as nearly 30,000 cusecs of water is being released from Pilloor dam, following heavy inflow due to incessant rains.

Meanwhile, Upper Bhavani dam in Nilgiris is brimming following continuous rains for the last few days and excess water is flowing down to Mettupalayam. The district administration decided to release 240 cucses of water on Friday and alerted people living in Athikadavu and Pilloor areas to move to safer places. The administration declared a holiday for schools in Kundah taluk.

Meanwhile, inflow to Mettur dam in Salem district was increased to 34,722 cusecs on Friday from 8,347 cusecs, following heavy discharge from dams in neighbouring Karnataka, the sources said. Cauvery river in Tamil Nadu is receiving 16,725 cusecs from Krishnaraj Sagar and 500 cusecs from Kabini in Karnataka, which increased the total inflow to the dam to 33,000 cusecs from 15,000 cusecs on Thursday.