Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

‘Normalcy will be restored soon’

Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

Getting ready: Restoration works in progress at Katteri on the Ooty - Mettupalayam highway on Thursday. —

Udhagamandalam: With relief and restoration works being taken up on a war footing most of the flood hit areas of the Nilgiris district have become beehives of activity. Spearheading the operation to put the district back on its feet is the Union Minister for Communications and Information and Technology A. Raja who represents the Nilgiris constituency.

Speaking to newsmen after presiding over a review meeting here on Thursday, Mr. Raja said that Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was constantly monitoring the situation. High priority was being accorded to connect towns which had been cut off due to landslips, restore power and water supply and ensure availability of essential commodities.

A total of 816 houses had been fully or partially damaged.

Maximum use was being made of alternative roads like the Dodabetta-Iduhatty-Kattabettu road. Officials had been instructed to streamline transport and supply of vegetables, milk etc and also ensure availability of petrol and diesel.

Trees considered to be dangerous to life and property would be removed after getting the clearance from the Forest Department.

Expressing the confidence that normalcy would be restored soon, he said that by Monday conditions would be made conducive for the flow of tourists to resume. About 1,100 flood-affected persons were being taken care of in ten camps.

The local officials and security forces were being assisted by Special Task Force and Tamil Nadu Special Police personnel apart from members of the National Disaster Response Force. The help of the Army would be sought only if it was absolutely necessary.

The State Highways Minister M.P. Saminathan said that the main Ooty-Coonoor-Mettupalayam road would be temporarily repaired within 15 days and thrown open to light motor vehicles. Bus traffic was likely to resume in about one month. It had been badly damaged over a distance of about ten kilometres. Around sixty landslips have occurred on the stretch.

Stating that temporary repairs were in full swing on the Ooty-Kotagiri-Mettupalayam road, he said that it was likely to be ready for light motor vehicle traffic by Friday evening.

The loss caused by the natural calamity to the state highways was estimated to be about Rs. 12 crore. Stating that about 105 kilometres had been affected, he said that landslips had occurred at around 543 places. A total of 145 small bridges and revetments had been damaged.

Later Mr. Raja, accompanied by the Khadi Board Minister K. Ramachandran and Nilgiris Collector Anandrao V. Patil oversaw restoration works at many places including Manjoor and distributed relief materials.

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