Thoothukudi district limps back to normalcy

Officials said that more steps need to be taken to ease the situation. After the police firing in Thoothukudi on Tuesday and Wednesday, tension gripped the entire town and essential services were fully paralysed bringing life to a standstill. 

Hotels and restaurants were closed, bus services were withdrawn. In addition to these, the government also suspended internet and mobile data services, leaving the Pearl City cut off from the rest of the country.

However, the situation improved on Friday, thanks to some serious measures initiated by district officials.

Collector Sandeep Nanduri, who assumed office on Thursday, ordered the opening of all Amma canteens in Thoothukudi. He directed that free food be supplied for three days round the clock to the public.

Similarly, all the Aavin outlets and booths functioned on Friday and 11,500 litres of milk were supplied to the public. Farm fresh outlets were also opened in the city. Vegetables were brought from Madurai in huge quantities to meet the demand. The shops that remained closed due to the opposition parties’ bandh on Friday were opened in the evening, indicating that normalcy was slowly returning to the trouble-hit town.

However, the biggest relief came after public transport services resumed. Five buses to Tirunelveli and six to Madurai were operated from Thoothukudi on a trial basis. Officials said that normal bus services would be restored if the vehicles that had gone out returned safe.

Autos too plied without any problem. In the evening, a TNSTC bus was torched in Karunkulam. However, internet services were yet to be restored. But, residents feel that normalcy would return only after bodies of the deceased were handed over to the family.