KRISHNAGIRI: Heavy rain lashed Hosur, Kelavarapalli, and Bengaluru’s surroundings on Wednesday night leading to an increase in inflow to Kelavarapalli dam. As a precautionary measure, water was discharged from the Kelavarapalli dam.
Subsequently, a foam rose up to ten feet on the Kelavarapalli -Thattiganapalli road on Thursday morning. Locals alleged that the foam was caused by release of sewage water in the South Pennai river which reaches Kelavarapalli dam.
Revenue department officials and firefighters from Hosur removed the foam from the road. For over four hours, firefighters struggled to remove the foam from the road. As the road between Kelavarapalli and Thattiganapalli villages was blocked, traffic from Thattiganapalli, Nandhimangalam was diverted to another route to reach Hosur. R Thirumoorthi (41) resident of Nandhimangalam, and a milk vendor told TNIE that, he had to travel three kilometres more to reach Hosur from the usual seven kilometres. Foam has been witnessed for the past two days but not this high, locals said.
TNPCB Krishnagiri District Environmental Engineer (DEE) Selvakumar told TNIE, “There are no industries in South Pennai river basin before Kelavarapalli dam in Tamil Nadu. Water entering Tamil Nadu border has phosphate content which could be sewage or detergent water from Bengaluru and this is cause for the foam.
Also during heavy rainfall, reduction of surface tension will increase turbulence, and at the same time, froth or foam will form. Water samples have been collected from near the South Pennai river entry point at Sokkarasanapalli and near Kelavarapalli dam where foam was reported for analysis.”
15 houses damaged
A total of 15 tiled roof houses were partially damaged in the district due to heavy rainfall from Wednesday night to Thursday morning.
Revenue department sources told TNIE that a total of 15 tiled roof houses were partially damaged in Denkanikottai, Pochampalli, Krishnagiri and Shoolagiri taluks. The Genginaickampatti lake near Pochampalli and Surya Narayanan lake near Kaveripattinam overflowed to the to nearby roads and residential areas, but the water receded later, sources further said.
Traffic was hit for more than five hours near Shoolagiri. Vehicles were diverted from Hosur to Krishnagiri via Rayakottai. Police, revenue and NHAI staff regulated traffic near Melumalai, between Shoolagiri and Krishnagiri.