RELENTLESS: The Alappuzha coast came under `tidal attack' on Tuesday too.

ALAPPUZHA: Tidal waves lashed the Alappuzha coast for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. Though the severity lessened in most places, the waves were very rough at Pathirapally and Purakad.

Seawater entered over 1,000 houses along the coastline on Tuesday, though the water receded in nearly half of these by evening. Two houses were destroyed and 42 damaged in Karthikapally, while 34 houses were damaged in the Ambalapuzha taluk. Trees close to the sea were uprooted at different places. The district administration opened 11 camps in Karthikapally and Ambalapuzha taluks, which bore the brunt of the seasonal phenomenon.

As many as 660 families were evacuated to these camps, District Collector V.K. Balakrishnan told The Hindu . Mr. Balakrishnan said the administration was still on an alert and the control room (0477-2251676) at the Collectorate would continue to function round the clock.

"The situation is slowly returning to normal. We are holding a meeting of officials and public representatives at the Kayamkulam Rest House on Wednesday to discuss relief measures and other steps to be taken to tackle the regular tidal wave attack on the Arattupuzha coast," the Collector said.

Ambalapuzha tahsildar Antony Dominique said seawater entered more than 400 houses in the taluk and families had to be evacuated to four camps at Purakad and one at Pathirapally. Karthikapally tahsildar Nooruddin Kunju said reports of seawater entering around 350 houses were received. The administration has opened six camps in the taluk at Thrikkunnapuzha and Arattupuzha.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Department was trying to repair the damaged coastal road from Valiyazheekal to Arattupuzha.

"It is difficult because the waves bring in sand onto the road each time they lash the coast. However, we hope that normal traffic can resume on the road by Wednesday," Mr. Kunju said.

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