Following incessant rain, ranging from moderate to heavy on Tuesday (July 16, 2024), in Coimbatore district, River Noyyal saw a notable increase in water level, leading to steady flow in various areas outside the city limits.
While the river’s volume is increasing significantly over the past two days, especially at Chithirai Chavadi and Coimbatore anicuts, the flow is obstructed at many places near the city due to growth of hyacinth, silt, and waste build-up. While downstream flow from the Coimbatore anicut remains clear, issues with dense hyacinth persist from Perur Padithurai to the Puttuviki anicut near Ukkadam.
However, officials from the Coimbatore Corporation said the river has not flooded agricultural fields and is unlikely to flood the Selva Chintamani tank, which typically receives heavy flow from the river during the monsoon. “We are monitoring the tank, and if necessary, we will open the outlet channels further,” said a senior official.
On Tuesday, the water level at Pilloor Dam was recorded at 97ft. Four gates (G1, G2, G3, and G4) were each opened to a height of 2.5ft to release water. The spillway discharge rate has increased from 6,000 cusecs to 10,140 cusecs from the gates. An additional 6,000 cusecs is being discharged through machinery, bringing the total discharge to 16,140 cusecs.
“The controlled release of water through the spillway and machinery helps manage the water level in the dam and ensures safety downstream. There is no cause for alarm at the lower Bhavani River,” an official of the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board said.
In the last 24 hours, ending at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, the district recorded a total rainfall of 1,323 mm, with an average of 57.55 mm. This is double the previous day’s total of 557 mm.
Published - July 16, 2024 05:06 pm IST
