Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore   

Water gushes into Vadavar canal as shutter gives in

Special Correspondent

Surplus water is being let into the Old Kollidam

CUDDALORE: Despite the best of efforts of the officials to arrest the water flow from the Kollidam into the Vadavar, one of the five shutters gave in today. Thus, water is gushing through the damaged shutter at the rate of 1,600 cusecs into the Vadavar, the major inlet point of the Veeranam tank.

The shutter could not withstand the ceaseless pounding of the large volume of water in the Kollidam. The Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, said the damaged shutter could be replaced only after the flood level receded.

The inflow through the Sengaal Odai and Karuvattu Odai was about 2,000 cusecs. Therefore, to maintain the storage at the predetermined level of 44.5 ft in the tank, the outflow was kept at 3,000 cusecs.

The surplus water was being let into the Old Kollidam, giving rise to the problem of backflow. The Old Kollidam could not easily mingle with the Kollidam because the latter was carrying huge quantum of water.

Hence, the swelling Old Kollidam started overflowing at seven to eight places and the bunds at these points were being strengthened. Mr Bedi further said at Vallampadugai, four vulnerable places such as Omampuliyur, Veera Cholapuram, Ma.Adhanur and Vandayar Iruppu were identified.

The Chief Executive Engineer of Public Works Department, Natarajan was posted at Veera Cholapuram, and Project Officer (DRDA), D.Jagannathan was stationed at Vallampadugai to take necessary measures to cope with floods.

At Ma.Adhanur the officials were working in tandem with the local community to plug the leaks. The District Revenue Officers were taking care of the logistics.

Mr Bedi said in the past 18 months, the bunds of the Kollidam were strengthened with the help of funds from the Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana, and because of this the leakages were only few and far between. The leaks were noticed at Keezh Paruthikudi, C.Arasur, M.Arasur, Karupperi. Adequate number of sandbags had been dumped at these points.

10 villages hit

The Collector said that about 10 villages on the Kollidam banks, such as Velakkudi, Agaram Nallur, Perampattu, North Manakkudi Colony, Nandimangalam, Vellur, Karumbur, Azhankathan, Veeracholapuram and Puliangudi were inundated. At Vellur, temple and houses were surrounded by water, and at Mullangudi and Melaparuthikudi crops were damaged. As many as 5,000 people were evacuated from flood-affected places and moved to the relief centres.

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