Erode: Uratchikottai barrage shutter breaks

ERODE: One of the 18 shutters of Uratchikottai barrage near Bhavani here was breached on Wednesday, affecting the generation of 30 megawatt (MW) electricity as water stored for the same gushed out through the damaged shutter area. Public Works Department (PWD) officials are working to install a new shutter.

There are seven barrages across the Cauvery between Mettur in Salem and Karur. Each barrage comes with 18 shutters and a capacity to store 0.5 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) water. Each shutter is 9 metres high, 15 metres wide and weighs around 50 tonnes. The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) produces 30 MW electricity from each barrage.

“The third shutter of the Uratchikottai barrage suddenly breached on Wednesday,” said a PWD official. Talking to TOI, he said the shutter was washed away as water gushed out through the damaged area in full force.

When alerted, PWD and Tangedco officials reached the spot and immediately dropped the emergency shutter, which was fitted atop the barrage. “We have stopped the water flow. We will soon initiate works to reinstall the shutter,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the Tangedco officials stopped power production from the Uratchikottai barrage. They would start power production once the shutter work gets completed.