More than 160 flood-prone spots identified in Vellore, its neighbouring districts

As part of northeast monsoon preparation, district administrations in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur have identified a total of 163 flood-prone spots in these districts.

Of these, Tiruvannamalai has the highest number of low-lying areas (68), primarily in Cheyyar and Arani district, followed by Ranipet (42), Vellore (26) and Tirupattur (27).

Those living in low-lying areas, including river banks and canals, have been asked to move to high-lying areas and temporary relief centers set up by the relevant district administrations.

R. Lakshmanan, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation, said: “There are 12 sensitive spots in Vellore city, mostly in Ariyur area near Thorapadi lake. Each zone has at least four motor pump sets to evacuate stagnant water. Zone 4 alone has 10 pump sets as it is a low-lying area.” Hindu.

Excess rainwater in Tiruvannamalai town will be discharged into the Vengaikaal irrigation tank maintained by the Water Resources Department (WRD) near the Collectorate. The tank currently has approximately 30% of the total storage space.

The company has cleared nearly 220 km of rainwater drains in Vellore, covering important areas like Katpadi, Sathuvachari near Collectorate, Old Town and Kaspa. The 9 km long Nicholson canal in the town drains excess rainwater from the nearby hills into the Palar river.

constant rain

Important districts like Vellore, Arcot, Arakkonam, Walajah, Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Tiruvannamalai, Cheyyar, Jawadhu Hills and Vandavasi are witnessing continuous rain.

Low-lying areas like Sampath Nagar and Kansalpet in Vellore were knee-deep in water due to continuous rain. Water resources in these districts are filling up rapidly.

Currently, there are 4,167 water sources, including 1,119 Minor Irrigations maintained by the WRD and ponds and lakes maintained by the District Rural Development Agency, in these districts.

WRD officials said large reservoirs in these regions have reached 50% of their total capacity. A warning was issued for residents living in villages along the water channels where excess rainwater is released from these reservoirs.