Police put up caution signboards along the Cauvery in Karur district

With water being released into the Cauvery from the Mettur dam for irrigation, the Karur district police have taken precautionary steps by alerting the general public residing in villages along the river course in the district and appealing to them to desist from venturing deep into the river.

Caution boards have been put up at various locations along the river in Karur district advising the general public about the possible increased discharge of water from the dam in the coming days.  The caution boards have been put up at locations including Mayanur dam, Marudhur, Mahadanapuram, Krishnarayapuram, Rajendram, K.V. Pettai and Kulithalai, said a senior police officer. Besides installing signboards, police teams have been creating awareness using public address system, especially among those residing near the river course about the release of water from the Mettur dam.

The teams had interacted with the general public appealing to them not to venture deep into the river for taking bath as they could get trapped in quicksand and that the water flow might increase in the days to come. The general public have been advised to desist from taking children for bath in the river and taking their cattle to the river. 

The cautionary boards were placed a couple of days ago at vantage locations with fire fighters in the district having been put on standby, the officer said. Water from the Mettur dam was released on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, Ariyalur District Collector P. Rathinasamy convened a meeting on Monday regarding the precautionary steps to be taken in view of the opening of the Mettur dam. The Collector asked the officials to identify low-lying areas and keep sand bags ready. He appealed to the people residing in villages close to the Kollidam not to venture into the river for bathing, washing clothes, fishing or take their cattle in view of the flood warning that had been issued.