The district administrations of Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, and Kancheepuram have issued flood alert to several villages in these districts. This comes as a result of spate in several water bodies as a result of heavy rains in the catchment areas in the wake of Cyclone Nivar.
The Thenneri lake in Walajahbad taluk, Thandarai dam in Tiruvannamalai district, Madurantakam lake, Palar river and Poondi reservoir in Tiruvallur district are in spate and water is being released due to the increased inflow.
The district administrations have instructed people in low-lying areas to move to relief camps or to safer places.
After five years, the Poondi reservoir was opened since the inflow of water touched 10,254 cusecs on Friday. Authorities released 1,000 cusecs of water due to the heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the reservoir.
The people of low-lying areas in Tiruvallur district and north Chennai received flood alert and were instructed to move to safer places. People of several villages living along the banks of Palar river received flood alert after the water body experienced an inflow of over 40,000 cft. The Vellore district administration has sounded flood alert to villages on the banks of Palar river since the inflow is likely to breach the banks.
The district administrations have also alerted the residents of Perumpakkam villlage in Kancheepuram and Nemilichery village in Chengalpattu district.
The spate in Thenneri lake has resulted in flood alert to 10 villages of Kancheepuram district and 15 villages of Chengalpattu district. An inflow of 6,000 cusecs in Thandarai dam across Cheyyar river in Tiruvannamalai has made officials alert 24 villages in Uthiramerur of Kancheepuram district since the water will reach near Perunagar of Kancheepuram.
The heavy rains due to cyclone Nivar have resulted in a spate in water bodies in the state. Cyclone Nivar made a landfall near Puducherry on Thursday resulting in heavy rainfall to coastal and interior parts of Tamil Nadu.
(The story was published in an arrangement with The News Minute.)
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