Chennai, Aug 12 (UNI) With River Cauvery in spate following opening of the Mettur Dam, the Tamil Nadu Government today said it was taking all steps to ensure the safety of the people and property.

An official release here said 486 families in Namakkal and another 278 in Erode living in encroached structures on the banks of the river had been evacuated to safety following huge inflows into the river.

The government had instructed the District Collectors of Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Karur, Tiruchi, Perambalur, Tanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Puthukottai and Cuddalore to initiate round-the-clock preventive and safety measures.

Revenue officials were monitoring the situation in the respective districts, the release said.

Meanwhile a report from Erode said three persons were washed away in floods at Kodumuddi and Kodivery today.

Komarapalayam,Pallipalayam of Namakkal District and Karungalpalayam, Kodumuddy and Vairapalayam of Erode District were badly affected due to the release of about 1.35 lakh cusecs into River Cauvery.

From both the districts, about 2,000 people were evacuated and shifted to safer places.

A medical team was deputed to Erode. The Health Department had taken precautionary measures to control any outbreak of water-borne diseases in the flood-hit areas.

UNI