Hanur: Gopinatham dam overflows; tourism hit

With heavy rains, the Gopinatham dam has filled to its brim and the water is seen overflowing on to the road that connects Hogenakkal falls, at several places, causing inconvenience to the road users.

Gopinatham dam near Male Mahadeshwara Hill has filled after two years. Due to heavy rains that lashed the region two days ago, the dam and the small ponds are overflowing on to the roads. One feet of water is seen on the roads near the place ‘Tengakombu’.

The people visiting Hogenakkal had to wait for a few hours for the water to recede and continue with their journey. The situation is likely to recur if the region receives rain again, say the locals.

As Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary has been receiving continuous rains, all water sources in the forest have been filled and water is flowing into Gopinatham dam. As a result, several bridges on Hogenakkal route have become inundated, causing inconvenience to the people.

A discussion will be held with the senior officers, said a Forest officer. He added that measures are being taken to temporarily ban tourism activities in the region.