KRISHNAGIRI: Heavy rain lashed Krishnagiri district from Friday evening to Saturday morning. A flood alert has been sounded to people in the low-lying areas of the South Pennai River in the districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Thiruvannamalai due to heavy discharge of water from the Krishnagiri Reservoir Project (KRP) Dam.
Following the rain, a few lakes in Hosur overflowed and surplus water reached the Thippalam Lake in the Thorapalli Panchayat.
A few residential areas in Thippalam village and over 250 Adi Dravidar families were affected as the canal breached their banks.
A road from Thippalam village to Kumudepalli village was cut off as the canals overflowed.
G Muniraju, a driver of Thippalam village, told TNIE, "This road has flooded for the second time in the last four years. Our demand for a low-level bridge to cross the road during the rainy season has been ignored by the Krishnagiri district administration."
Most of the families here are Adi Dravidar. Today most of us did not go for work, he added.
K Muthu of RR Garden in Thippalam village said "power has been cut since the wee hours of Saturday to avoid any untoward incident. Over 80 houses are without power till Saturday evening. Water inundated homes near the canal."
Krishnagiri District Collector C Dinesh Kumar told TNIE a high-level bridge will be constructed in Thippalam village.
Officials of the rural development and revenue departments in Hosur rushed to the spot to assess the situation on Saturday.
Similarly, water inundated a road near the Aavin flyover in Krishnagiri town.
Six tiled roof houses were partially damaged in Denkanikottai, Anchetti, Shoolagiri and Hosur.
A 19-year-old college student, R Soodappa of Parvathi Nagar in Hosur, was injured as a side wall collapsed in the rain.
Total rainfall recorded in the district was 666.50 millimetre with an average of 41.66 mm rainfall. Hosur recorded the highest, 120 mm. Nedungal reported 67.2 mm, Barur 65 mm, and KRP Dam 60.4 mm.
A Water Resources Department official said the KRP Dam had an inflow of 3,513 cusecs on Saturday afternoon. The outflow will also be the same. The water level in the dam is 50.25 feet against its total height of 52 ft.
Due to the outflow, people in low-lying areas of the South Pennai River were asked to not cross the river. A flood alert has been sounded to people of eight panchayats.