MADURAI/TRICHY/DHARMAPURI: Though the clear sky for the past two days gave respite from incessant showers, residents of flood prone areas in southern and central districts continued to suffer on Sunday due to water logging in several places.
DMK MP K Kanimozhi on Sunday inspected the flood-affected areas in Tuticorin and apprised chief minister M K Stalin about the situation over a phone call.
She said 1,585 people evacuated from the banks of Thamirabarani are still staying at 33 relief shelters.
In Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu assembly speaker M Appavu released the surplus water from the Kariyandi embankment canal of the Thamirabarani, Nambiyaru, and Karumeniyaru river linking project on Sunday. Appavu noted on Saturday night, miscreants opened the sluices near Thidiyur to divert floodwater from Thamirabarani into the sea.
“Officials are looking into the issue,” he said.
Tirunelveli collector K P Karthikeyan said drinking water supply which was hit due to damaged motors in river wells would be restored in one or two days. Even as the India Meteorological Department forecast light to moderate rain at one or two places for southern Tamil Nadu districts in the next few days, officials intensified flood relief and preventive measures.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday said poor administration in Tuticorin, Tenkasi, and Tirunelveli led to the current floods. In Madurai, life was yet to return to normal for residents of areas like Ponmeni Danathavam Nagar as water overflowing from Madakulam tank flooded their homes.
Farmers said banana crop in several acres of the region has also been destroyed.
Residents attributed the flooding to a blockage in Kiruthumal channel, citing improper desilting and lack of coordination between Madurai corporation and the water resources department.
In Trichy too, two days of clear sky did not give respite to residents overflowing waterbodies have inundated many low-lying areas.
Surplus water from Kollankulam tank in E Pudur inundated Karumandapam and Ponnagar areas as the existing drain network was insufficient to handle the high flow of floodwater.
A gated community on Trichy-Dindigul NH was inundated for two days, forcing Trichy corporation to deploy diesel pumps to drain the stagnant water.
Meanwhile, the overflowing Ariyar river inundated Pirattiyur and Dheeran Nagar in Trichy city’s periphery.
Municipal administration minister K N Nehru inspected the river and urged the public works department to dredge it.
Farmers at Harur in Dharmapuri district were worried as tapioca, potato, and cotton crops were decaying in stagnating water.
For the last three days, sporadic rain has been falling in the surrounding Harur. This has led to the waterlogging of fields, submerging the crops.
