The Army has been pressed into service to plug breaches in various places on the banks of River Cauvery on Thursday even as thousands of people marooned in low-lying areas were evacuated to safer places following heavy rains under the influence of a depression.
Official sources said 80 Armymen from the military base at Madukkarai, near Coimbatore and 20 personnel from the Madras Engineering Group, who arrived in Tiruchirapalli Wednesday night after a request from the district authorities, commenced their operations at Chetti Thoppu at Melur in Srirangam where a major breach had occurred due to heavy discharge of surplus Cauvery water from the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur in Salem District.
The locals and the authorities successfully plugged the breach Wednesday evening.
The Army personnel are currently engaged in strengthening the bunds and have requested the district administration to provide them with 2000 sand bags.
A batch of 40 Armymen arrived at Ponnurangapuram this noon for building a temporary bridge with sand bags. The bridge was washed away when a breach occurred in Mettu Vaikkal, an irrigation channel carrying the Cauvery water.
Meanwhile, State Labour Welfare Minister P Annavi, District Collector K Nanda Kishore, City Corporation Mayor and officials visited the flood-ravaged areas of Ponnurangapuram, Melur, Kilikkoodu, Sarkarpalayam, Uthamarseeli, Thiruvalarcholai, Srirangam and previewed the situation.
The Minister directed the officials to expedite work on strengthening the bunds and plugging the seepage.
