Krishnagiri: The Public Works Department (PWD) that takes care of the KRP dam in Krishnagiri district has given flood alert for five districts along the course of the South Pennar river, as shutter repair works are being taken up.
“The flood alert was given to Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Thiruvanamalai, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts due to continuous discharge from the dam for enabling the repair works” K. Meiazhagan, PWD engineer told DC.
He explained that, “the inflow was recorded as 600 cusecs on Monday, whereas the discharge from the dam through the irrigation canals was maintained at the level of 1,600 cusecs. The present storage level is 37-feet against its total level of 52-feet in height”
The water from the dam was released to bring the storage level to below 22-feet for replacing the metal plate with new shutters supposed to reach Krishnagiri in few days, he said.
A metal plate was fixed as a short-term arrangement when the damaged shutter was removed after it had broken under pressure last year.
On November 29, 2017, the gate number one in KRP dam had broken when the water storage level was maintained at 51-feet in height. Two dam engineers were placed under suspension for this incident.
Then the district administration with the help of the experts stopped the water getting wasted by fixing a metal plate having a height of 42-feet, against the total level of 52-feet in height of the dam.
The district administration assured farmers that the water level will not be reduced when the local farmers raised the issue during the meeting with the collector C. Kathiravan.
