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Heavy rain, floods devastate Karur district

Staff Reporter

IMPOSSIBLE CROSSING: A view of the breach on the bund of South Bank Canal near Mayanur in Karur district.

KARUR: Torrential downpour and flooding of the Amaravathi river have left a trail of devastation on the district's infrastructure. Highways and water supply schemes, a portion of the new Amaravathy bridge and erosion of gravel under railway tracks near Mayanur are some of the scars left behind by nature's fury.

Relief reached the people of Thirumukkoodalur and Somur, villages that bore the brunt of the Amaravathy floods, by Friday evening. Officials, unable to ascertain the fate of the inhabitants there for the past two days somehow reached the area on Friday to assess the damage. An estimated 1,500 acres in the region where the Amaravathi meets the Cauvery could have been affected. Farmers' worries compounded as the floods left the fields full of sand, completely wiping out paddy, sugarcane and korai (reed grass) crops usually raised in the area. About four small bridges and culverts were washed away in the region, where over 70 trees lay uprooted.

In Achamapuram over 250 huts are still marooned by the floodwaters. In Chinnadankoil residents complained that encroachment of the drainage channel had caused flooding in the area and laid the blame on the elected representatives for failing to check the illegal act.

While the national highway linking Karur and Kulithalai, which bore the brunt with gaping potholes widening under the weight of each passing vehicle in several stretches, is the worst hit, the Aravakurichi-Chinnatarapuram stretch of minor roads has also been severely affected. Similar is the fate of the Kulithalai-Manapparai state highway, vast stretches of which have been washed away, and the Palayam-Taragampatti Road.

The main lines of the Dindigul Combined Water Supply Scheme, which passes the Amaravathi near Panchamadevi, stands mutilated in the middle of the river. Floodwaters also washed away portions of the banks of the river. Similarly, water supply for Sanapiratti has also been affected.

Railway track mauled

Railway traffic in the Karur-Tiruchi sector remained suspended for the third consecutive day following damage to tracks at Kattalai village between Veerarakkiam and Mayanur stations. Workers were trying to set right the track on Saturday evening. The gravel under the track was washed away in the floods that ravaged the area and rail traffic is expected to resume only after repairs.

Many culverts over channels and rivulets supporting roads and highways have been severely damaged in the district. In Kattalai breaches to embankments adjoining the Cauvery inundated the northern side of the Tiruchi-Karur highway. Two huge breaches in the bund of the South Bank Canal near Mayanur left gaping holes for 50 metres in each place.

It is said that the floodwaters coming in waves breached the bunds trying to reach the Cauvery just metres away.

The Nangavaram Kattu Vari breached in a couple of places and inundated paddy and sugarcane fields, villagers near Koundampatti claimed, but reports said the water had receded in the area.

Two more killed

The toll due to floods and rain in the district rose to five with the death of two more persons on Friday. P. Periyammal alias Periyakkal (85) of Mamarathupatti near Thennilai in Chinthamanipatti P.S. limits was trapped by floodwaters and the jungle stream washed her away. Her body was later recovered from a nearby bush. C. Ramasamy (72) of Rajapuram in Chinnatharapuram P.S. limits was washed away by the Amaravathi. His body was later recovered.

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