A malfunction in one of the spillway shutters at Anaimaduvu dam in Vazhapadi taluk led to 1,600 cusecs of water being discharged into Vasishta River, causing panic among the people on Wednesday.

The dam, constructed across the Anaimaduvu River, at Puzhudhikuttai village has three spillway shutters to discharge water. K. Appusamy, Executive Engineer, Sarabanga Division, Salem, in a release said the central shutter malfunctioned, opened, and allowed water to flow into the river. However, residents and farmers living along the Vasishta River in Kurichi and Belur were alerted and advised not to enter the river.

The release added that all precautionary measures were taken, the issue with the shutter was rectified, and the discharge was stopped. The released water currently flowed through the river, and no farmlands or residential areas were affected. Officials from the Water Resources Department and Revenue Department were closely monitoring the situation.