Chennai, Aug 31 (IANS): The Erode district administration in Tamil Nadu has issued a flood alert to people living in the low-lying areas of the district as the water discharge from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur will be increased to 1.5 lakh cusec.

The discharge, according to district administration, could be increased more and this could lead water to gash into houses in the low-lying areas of Erode from Tuesday evening.

The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department officials told IANS that with an increased inflow following heavy rains at the catchment areas, the discharge from the Mettur dam was increased from 1.3 to 1.5 lakh cusec.

With the flow of water into the reservoir on an ascendancy, the discharge will be increased to 1.7 lakh cusec at any moment. This has prompted the district administration to caution people living in low-lying areas and on the banks of the river Cauvery to stay safe and move out from their houses.

The district administration officials told IANS that water could enter 50 to 75 houses by Tuesday evening and those residing in these places would be shifted to relief centres.

The district administration has arranged three to five relief centres for accommodating those who would be shifted from their houses by Tuesday evening.

As many as 448 people are already in relief centres in the district following water entering low-lying areas.