Ministers take stock of flood situation in Kanniyakumari

The Ministers along with Collector Prashant M Wadnere and officials from Departments of Revenue and PWD inspected the Pechiparai dam, Perunchani dam, Puthen dam and also some locations that were worst hit by rains at Pallikal, Munchirai and Ezhudesam.

Talking to reporters, Udhayakumar lauded the efforts of the district administration, which took adequate precautionary measures to tackle rain related issues and rescue and relief operations on time. 

The state government is prepared to tackle problems concerning rain through effective methods of Disaster Management. Catchment areas of Pechiparai and Perunchani dams received a considerable amount of water following heavy rain during the Southwest Monsoon. However, safety measures were taken to discharge surplus water into river. Five zonal teams deputed by the district administration had been monitoring situation round the clock since August 14.

Apart from 62 locations, which had been identified as vulnerable to rainfall, 16 more locations were identified as vulnerable in the district. In the wake of heavy rain, seven huts were fully damaged and 22 partly damaged. Twenty trees were uprooted and a total of 170 electricity poles suffered damages. Further, he said as many as 391 families, who resided at low lying areas in parts of the district, were accommodated in relief shelters. Among those inhabitants, 347 families returned to their houses and the rest of them had been residing in their relatives’ houses, he said.

However, a team has been involved in ascertaining the extent of damage caused to roads, minor bridges, agriculture and horticulture crops, rubber plantation sites and plantain fields.

Unfortunately, a fisherman of Thengapattinam, who went missing, was found dead at sea. The deceased fisherman along with a fellow fisherman was engaged in safe anchoring of their boats. But, strong winds and changes in tidal current pulled the victim into deeper waters.

Few families had been experiencing power outage and supply would be restored soon. Citing safety precaution, power outage was necessitated. Moreover, he said as an alternative arrangement to damaged water pipelines, tanker lorries services were being used.

Earlier, they inspected a medical camp held at Kulithurai and appealed to the Health Department staff to ensure adequate chlorination in water and asked the people to drink boiled water. Compensation of Rs 43,700 was given to ten persons, whose houses were damaged in the rain, sources said.