The Hindu : Front Page : Rain claims 11 lives in districts, widespread damage to crops

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Wednesday, Oct 26, 2005

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Rain claims 11 lives in districts, widespread damage to crops

Tamil Nadu Bureau

Surplus discharge from Stanley reservoir scaled down to 1.51 lakh cusecs

WATERLOGGED: Amma Mandapam on the banks of Cauvery in Srirangam on Tuesday. — Photo: M. Moorthy

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CHENNAI: Heavy rain and flooding of riverbanks for the second day on Tuesday claimed 11 lives in different parts of Tamil Nadu. Building collapse and electrocution were the main causes of deaths in Vellore, Perambalur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchi, Kanyakumari, Dharmapuri, Madurai and Villupuram.

Consequent to the drop in inflows from the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir in Karnataka, the surplus discharge from the Stanley reservoir in Mettur was scaled down to 1.51 lakh cusecs, bringing respite to areas adjoining the riverbanks, according to Public Works Department officials.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa reviewed the relief measures with top government officials.

The discharge from the Mettur dam reached the Grand Anicut on Tuesday morning and 75,000 cusecs was released into the Coleroon. About 1.5 lakh cusecs was released into the river from the Upper Anicut.

The Coleroon can safely carry about 3 lakh cusecs. Police personnel maintained vigil alongside PWD engineers and revenue officials.

Several parts of the island town of Srirangam were marooned reviving memories of the 1977 deluge. The densely populated town was in danger of being submerged after a stretch of the Cauvery river bund near Melur developed leaks. District authorities ordered evacuation of the vulnerable areas of the town between the Cauvery and the Coleroon.

One thousand and five hundred people in Keezharamanallur and Melaramanallur, twin villages in Perambalur district, were also marooned.

Thousands of acres of paddy and banana crops were submerged in floodwaters in several parts of Tiruchi. Agricultural fields on the Cauvery and Coleroon banks were flooded and farmers apprehend damage to the crops if the floodwaters do not recede quickly.

The storage in Stanely Reservoir on Tuesday was 95.605 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) against its capacity of 93.4 tmcft.

In Bhavanisagar and Amaravathi Dam the storage was 28.633 tmcft and 3.075 tmcft against their capacity of 32.8 tmcft and 4.047 tmcft.

The storage in Krishnagiri dam was 1.484 tmcft as against its capacity of 1.666 tmcft. The inflow was of the order of 27,555 cusecs and the same quantum is being released. In case of Sathanur Dam, with a capacity of 7.321 tmcft, the storage was 6.657 tmcft and the inflow 47,250 cusecs. Both the reservoirs are expected to overflow soon.

Parambikulam, Aliyar and Sholayar reservoirs in the western part also received copious inflow. Levels in Parambikulam Reservoir stood at 13.153 tmcft (capacity 13.408 tmcft), Aliyar Dam at 3.570 tmcft (3.864 tmcft) and Sholayar at 4.928 tmcft (5.052 tmcft). All of them will be filled to capacity soon.

However, in the Vaigai and Papanasan reservoirs in the southern districts, the storage was just 50 per cent of their capacity. In Vaigai Dam, the storage was 3.440 tmc ft (10.570 tmcft) while in Papanasam it was 2.981 tmcft (5.50 tmcft).

In Manimutharu and Periyar dams, the storage was less than 50 per cent. In Periyar Dam it was 3.440 tmcft (10.57 tmcft) and in Manimutharu it was 1.623 tmcft (5.51 tmcft).

The Perunchani and Pechiparai reservoirs in Kanyakaumari district were getting good inflows, according to PWD officials in Chennai.

The meteorological office said on Tuesday evening: "Isolated heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur over north coastal Tamil Nadu. The remaining parts of the State may receive isolated heavy rain."

A "feeble" low pressure area lay over central parts of south bay. Nungambakkam in Chennai and Thozhudhur in Cuddalore district received the maximum rainfall of 12 cm in the 24-hour reading on Tuesday morning. Lalgudi received 11 cm, Trichy 10 cm and Srimushnam (Cuddalore district), Viralimalai and Melur 9 cm each and Tirubhuvanam 8 cm.

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