Barricades installed on both sides of the roads at Mecheri near Mettur on Monday ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit to Salem district in Tamil Nadu.
| Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E.
Ahead of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s visit to Salem district on Tuesday (September 1, 2026), security has been tightened in the district.The Chief Minister will reach the airport in Kamalapuram on Tuesday, and will travel to the Mettur dam, by road, from where he is set to release water for delta irrigation. Police have installed barricades for a distance of 40 km, from Kamalapuram to Mettur, on both sides of the road to prevent people from entering the area while the CM is crossing the stretch. A pandal has been installed at the dam for the event. The buildings and structures in Mettur dam premises have been whitewashed by the Water Resources Department (WRD).Sources said after releasing water from the dam, the Chief Minister will visit the photo exhibition about the Mettur dam. He is also expected to visit the dam’s powerhouse.More than 3,500 police personnel headed by an Inspector General (IG), four Deputy Inspector General (DIGs), 15 District Superintendent of Police (SPs), 15 ADSPs, and 35 DSPs are engaged in protection duty.On Sunday evening (August 30, 2026), WRD secretary Prashant M. Wadnere, along with the officials, inspected the arrangements at the Mettur dam.On Monday (August 31, 2026), the Salem District Collector K. Elambahavath, stated in a release that due to the CM’s participation in the event, flying of drones has been banned in the district on Tuesday, the release added. Published - August 31, 2026 07:20 pm IST
