Following a significant increase in water discharge from Karnataka's reservoirs into the Mettur dam, Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Department (WRD) has issued a flood warning for 11 districts in the Cauvery delta region.
In an advisory, the WRD stated that the combined discharge from the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini dams has been increased to 95,000 cusecs. Owing to this, there has been an inflow into the Mettur reservoir. Officials are of the view that the dam will soon reach its full capacity of 120 feet. Once this level is reached, the surplus water will be released into the Cauvery River. The department warned that an initial discharge of 50,000 to 70,000 cusecs is expected from Mettur, with the volume potentially increasing further based on inflows.
Residents in low-lying areas and along the Cauvery’s banks have been advised to move to safer locations. The affected districts include Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Ariyalur, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore.
The water level on Monday at the Mettur dam was at 117.56 feet, close to its maximum capacity. The storage stood at 89.63 TMC, nearing the maximum of 93.47 TMC. The inflow had risen to 7,435 cusecs, up from 6,223 cusecs on Sunday. Officials said the water discharge into the Cauvery for delta irrigation was also raised to 35,000 cusecs from 22,000 cusecs the previous day. A senior WRD official confirmed that the entire inflow will be let out once the dam reaches full capacity.
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The district administrations have been asked to be on high alert. They are ensuring that relief and evacuation measures are ready in case of flooding. Heavy rains are predicted in Karnataka and the catchment areas of the Cauvery as a result officials are closely monitoring the situation.
In Karnataka, on Tuesday too, the administrations of seven districts have declared a holiday for schools and colleges, owing to excessive rainfall. The holidays were declared in Dharwad, Chikkamagaluru, Belagavi, Karwar, Hassan, Bidar, and Madikeri districts as a precautionary measure.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre has issued a red alert for Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga districts. An orange alert is in place for Dakshina Kannada, Belagavi, Bidar, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan, and Kodagu districts, while a yellow alert has been declared for Bagalkot, Yadgir, Ballari, and Davanagere districts. The disaster management centre has warned that the state, particularly its coastal and hilly regions, will continue to experience heavy rainfall and strong winds until August 20.
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