Floods in Amaravathy – The Hindu

Water was diverted into the Kollidam at Mukkombu near Tiruchi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY

With the Amaravathi in spate, the Water Resources Department on Saturday opened the Kollidam regulator and began discharging surplus water from the Upper Anicut at Mukkombu.

The opening of the Kollidam regulator to discharge surplus water is the second time within six months in a year. It was last opened on July 31.

Sources in the department said heavy discharge of water in the Amaravathi had necessitated the opening of the Kollidam regulator. Though the discharge of water from the Mettur dam in the Cauvery was just 1,000 cusecs, the realisation of water at the Upper Anicut had crossed 40,000 cusecs at 5 p.m on Saturday because of increasing flow in the Amaravathi, which joins the Cauvery near Thirumukkudalur, about 10 km from Karur. To prevent flooding in the delta areas and the low-lying areas of Tiruchi, the entire quantum of water realised at Mukkombu was being diverted into the Kollidam, essentially a flood carrier.

It was originally planned to open the Kollidam regulator on Saturday evening. But, at around 10 a.m, the officials changed the decision and began discharging surplus water in the Kollidam river. The discharge stood at 25,000 cusecs in the morning. It went up to 35,000 cusecs in the afternoon.

R. Thayalakumar, Chief Engineer of Water Resources Department, Tiruchi, who took stock of the situation at Mukkombu, told The Hindu that it had been decided to discharge entire quantum of surplus water into the Kollidam as there was no demand for water for irrigation in delta areas. The check dam across the Amaravathi at Andankoil in Karur district realised 75,750 cusecs on Saturday morning. It had come down to 44,420 cusecs in the evening.

Tiruchi District Collector M. Pradeep Kumar said there was steady flow of water in Koraiyaru and the Ariyar because of heavy rain in Pudukottai and Manapparai areas for the last two to three days. Arrangements had been made to ensure the discharge of the entire quantum of water from the Koraiyarur and the Ariyar through the Kudamuriti into the Cauvery. It was to prevent floods in the low-lying areas of Tiruchi, the surplus water was let into the Kollidam. There was no cause for worry as the rain had subsided in the catchment areas of the Koraiyaru and Ariyar. However, the officials were put on high alert.