July 21
The Mettur Dam is all set to reach its full reservoir level (FRL) of 120 feet in about 30 hours from now. After a progressive dip in inflow from above 1 lakh cusecs on Thursday to 81, 339 cusecs on Friday and 64,515 cusecs today morning the inflow has started to shoot up again.
PWD sources in Mettur Dam said that the Karnataka has stepped up discharges from its dams due to heavy rains in the state. As of today evening about 80,000 cusecs has been released into the Cauvery river. Water level has touched 115 feet from 114.630 feet today as result of high discharges.
Officials have arrived at calculations indicating that the Mettur Dam will reach its FRL at about 32 hours. Water inflow is being closely monitored at the Mettur Dam's west bank near the surplus weir where emergency control room has been set up (The emergency control room near the surplus weir is activated whenever the water level nears FRL). The District Disaster Management Cell is also on high alert. People in low lying areas in Dharmapuri, Salem and Namakkal districts have been asked to move to higher elevations and warned not to bathe or take selfies at the water front.
Mettur Dam is reaching full level after five years and this is will be the 38 th time the dam will reach its full level in its 84 years after commissioning. The first flood alert has been issued and the second one will be given when the water level touches 117 feet and the thrid one anytime depending on the situation. The dam holds 85.164 tmcft of water as against its full capacity of 93.5 tmcft.