THENI: With the Vaigai dam water level reaching 69 feet on Monday noon by 1 pm, the Water Resources Department (WRD) issued the third-stage flood alert to five southern districts — Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai, and Ramanathapuram.
As of Tuesday noon, the dam’s storage stood at 69.13 feet against its full capacity of 71 feet, holding 5,605 mcft of water while the dam is receiving over 4, 875 cusecs.
The total discharge of the dam was maintained at 3,630 cusecs, including 1,280 cusecs through the canal, 2,281 cusecs through the river, and 69 cusecs for drinking water supply.
Though the heavy rains have reduced, moderate rainfall is reported in Varusanadu and Kottagudi catchment areas on Tuesday. As per rain reports from Theni district administration, the district administration as of Tuesday morning recorded an average of 8.8 mm rainfall (Sothuparai and Bodi received 20+ mm rainfall).
Following the release, water gushes in the Vaigai river, touching both side banks in Madurai on Tuesday. The WRD department, as well as the city corporation, has taken measures to ensure water does not breach in low-lying areas and in causeways.
It is to be recalled that the WRD had earlier issued the first-stage flood warning on Saturday evening, when the storage crossed 66 feet following heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas.
At 6 am on Saturday, the Vaigai dam stood at 62.47 feet with an inflow of 2,268 cusecs. By 7 pm, it had climbed to 66.01 feet, with inflow touching 17,652 cusecs — marking a four-foot rise within 24 hours.
Subsequently, the second-stage alert was issued early Monday morning when the water level reached 68.5 feet with an inflow of 5,419 cusecs.
According to WRD officials, all tributaries, including Moola Vaigai, Kottagudi, Manjalar, and Kattaru, are running full, contributing to the steady inflow. “We are maintaining round-the-clock monitoring at the dam site and regulating the discharge to ensure downstream safety,” said a senior official.
“The floodwater could be released through all the extension canals, so that it can be effectively stored in the irrigation tanks,” said a farmer leader named Manikandan from Madurai.
People, reportedly, said they witnessed the Vaigai river flowing at its fullest in Madurai.
