Officials monitor River Cauvery that carries over 55,000 cusecs of water

With the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur reaching its full capacity of 120 feet earlier this week and 55,000 cusecs of surplus water being released into the Cauvery, authorities have stepped up flood-preparedness measures.

Teams from the Revenue, Police, and local bodies are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance along the riverbanks and low-lying areas here on Friday.

The Cauvery enters the district at Nerinjipettai and flows for 84 km through Ammapettai, Bhavani, Karungalpalayam in Erode city, and Kodumudi before crossing into Karur district. To ensure public safety, barricades have been erected at the Karungalpalayam bathing ghat, and announcements are being made through public address systems to warn residents. Similar alerts have been issued in Ammapettai, Bhavani, and Kodumudi, advising people to stay alert and be ready to move to relief centres if required.

Devotees at the bathing ghats near Sangameswarar Temple in Bhavani and Magudeswarar Temple in Kodumudi have also been urged to avoid entering the river.

According to a Revenue Department official, arrangements are in place to evacuate residents from flood-prone areas and accommodate them in relief camps stocked with food, drinking water, and basic amenities. The official added that water is unlikely to enter residential areas unless the discharge exceeds one lakh cusecs.