First flood warning issued in Vaigai; tourists banned from entering Kumbakarai falls

THENI

As the water level in Vaigai dam crossed the 66 feet mark, the PWD officials have issued the first flood warning at 6 a.m. here on Saturday.

Theni district has been receiving sharp showers over the last one week and major parts along the Western ghats have also been experiencing good rains. As a result, water inflow into the dams here including Manjalar, Sothuparai has been rising steadily.

At the Kumbakarai waterfalls, a famous tourist spot in the district, due to heavy flow the forest department officials here have banned the public from taking bath in the falls as a precautionary measure, forester David Raj said.

The PWD Assistant Executive Engineer (Vaigai Dam sub-division) P. Murugesan has informed that the water level in Vaigai dam was 66.01 ft (maximum level 71 ft). Hence, the first flood warning has been issued.

Apart from getting water inflow from the Mullaperiyar reservoir, the Vaigai dam also gets water from Kottakudi river, Mullai river, Vaigai river and other sources. The inflow into the Vaigai dam was 2,288 cusecs and discharge was 69 cusecs.

On June 2, the State government released 900 cusecs of water from Vaigai dam for irrigation, when the level was 62.50 ft. The release benefited farmers in Madurai and Dindigul for carrying out their paddy cultivation. The PWD officials stopped the release since July 21.

With widespread rain and stoppage of water being released for irrigation since July 21, the storage level in the Vaigai dam started raising steadily. From 52.59 ft on July 2, the storage level rose to 66.01 ft on Saturday (July 30).