Tamil Nadu - Nagapattinam   

Samba paddy crop on nearly 1 lakh ha submerged

Staff Reporter

Coleroon in spate; 50,000 people from 30 villages evacuated

NAGAPATTINAM: Thousands of people from about 30 villages situated on the banks of the Coleroon river in Mayiladuturai and Kollidam blocks in Nagapattinam district were evacuated on Friday to safe places such as schools and marriage halls as the Coleroon is in spate and is likely to breach at several places.

J. Radhakrishnan, Collector, who is camping with C.V. Sankar, Officer on Special Duty (Relief and Rehabilitation), deputed by the Government, and monitoring the situation, said nearly 50,000 people from 30 villages near the Coleroon's banks were evacuated.

The Collector said Public Works (PWD) Department officials were sent in teams to strengthen the bunds of the Coleroon at Vellamanal, Alakkudi, Siddhamalli, Mudikandanallur, Puliyur, Chothiram, Varangam, Mahendrapalli and Kattur villages. He pointed out that the water level in the Coleroon had been increasing since Friday afternoon and that about 3.5 lakh cusecs of water was flowing down the river, just one or two feet below the banks at several places.

Rehabilitation work

Mr. Radhakrishnan and Mr. Sankar, along with Revenue, PWD and Agriculture Department officials were seen rushing from one place to another and organising rehabilitation work.

Besides the Coleroon, the Vennar, Harichandra and Vettar rivers passing through the district were also in spate and people living near the riverbanks in Thalainayar and Keevalur blocks were asked to move to safer places.

The Collector said samba paddy crop in about 1 lakh hectares in the district had been submerged in the heavy rain during the last five days. He said special teams were formed and deputed to monitor the flood situation in the district.

Pollachi V. Jayaraman, Minister for Food and Co-operation, deputed by the Chief Minister to oversee the rehabilitation work in the district, could not reach Nagapattinam and was held up at Cuddalore due to breaches on the roads at many places. Official sources said the Minister was coming through Madurai to Nagapattinam.

A vast sheet of water was seen in most part of the district and bus services from Mayiladuturai to Chidambaram, Sethiathope and other places were inoperable due to breaches at several places on the highways. Buses from Nagapattinam to Karaikal and Mayiladuturai were being operated in a circuitous route through Pettai and Tirunallar, as the causeway across the Arasalar river connecting the two ends of Karaikal was breached and water was overflowing in the causeway.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Samba paddy crop on nearly 1 lakh ha submerged
Rs.26.41 crores sanctioned to improve infrastructure

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu