Following a lull in rainfall in the past couple of days, the threat of River Bhavani waters inundating low-lying areas in and around Mettupalayam has receded.
According to sources in the Revenue Department, following information from the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, which controls the Pilloor Reservoir, they had alerted the people who resided on the River bank – the areas were within the Mettupalayam Municipality and also outside.
After a wait till 1.30 a.m. Thursday, the officials said that they withdrew the warning. And, as of Friday things were back to normality.
In Valparai, the Department has asked the Valparai Thasildar to study the encroachments near the Children’s Park, see if the residents there could be relocated and that if they have patta (title deeds). This move followed complaints of inundation during the recent rains, said a senior Department officer.
Sources in the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board said that as of Friday 6 a.m. the water level in the Pilloor Reservoir stood at around 85 feet, a good 15 feet less than the full reservoir level of 100 feet. To maintain the water level the Tangedco had stepped up the discharge of water – from 70.52 mcft to 525 mcft.
The sources pointed out that if the Tangedco had not released water from the Reservoir, the water level would have easily touched the full reservoir level as the level had touched 92 feet on Wednesday.
Given the increase in water level in the Reservoir, the TWAD Board withdrew 125 million litres a day (MLD) for supply to the Coimbatore Corporation and a number of local bodies around the city. The Corporation also withdrew 70 MLD to meet the city’s drinking water requirements.
The good rains had also seen an increase in supply of Siruvani water by the TWAD Board. According to sources in the Coimbatore Corporation, the city had received 70 MLD on Friday.
The water level in the Siruvani Reservoir stood at 22.63 feet.
The sources said that if the good rains continued, water level in the Siruvani Reservoir could also touch the full reservoir level soon.
