Timely notice averts major lake breach in Krishnagiri

On Tuesday night, 33-year-old T. Damodaran of Vellakuttai village, near Uthagarai town, on Thiruvanamalai-Krishnagiri road in Krishnagiri prevented a major tragedy, when he noticed the breach of the 'Singarapettai periya eri' in his village.

The villager, while answering the natures call, found the water seeping out of a small hole on the lake bund and immediately alerted his villagers who in turn called the revenue officials. The officials went to the place and tried to plug the leak by placing sand bags.

Around 1,500 people who dwell in Vellakuttai, Manian Nagar and Kamaraj Nagar on the fringe of the lake were evacuated as a precautionary measure to avert any untoward incident. Those who were moved out of the village were made to stay in the local schools. The district administration made necessary arrangements including food for them.

The PWD official team tried to plug the leak, but the lake measuring an extent of 112 acres breached at around 8 am on Wednesday, despite the efforts to prevent it. Some parts like Vellakuttai, Manian Nagar and Kamaraj Nagar were inundated after water entered the villages because of the breach.

According to the local villagers, the lake started overflowing after 10 years on Tuesday evening, because of the incessant rainfall due to the depression formed over the Bay of Bengal.