NAGERCOIL : The unrelenting rains in the district have made life an ordeal for people here. As many as 200 families have been evacuated from Agastheeswaram, Thovalai, Kalkulam, and Vilavancode taluks and five disaster management teams, each having 10 officials from different departments have been deployed in the taluks to take care of relief measures.
The five shelter camps opened in these taluks provided refuge to 174 people, including 42 kids. Around 63 people from 16 families were rescued from Palavilai village and 40 fire and rescue teams were deployed to rescue people from flooded areas. 140 officers were engaged in rescue operations in the district.
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The rains damaged 61 houses and average rainfall recorded in the district as of 8 am on Wednesday was 94.24 mm. The figure, however, fell to 16.67 mm average at 4 pm. The highest rainfall was recorded near Perunchani dam -- 38 mm. Officials confirmed that three roads and two bridges were damaged, and landslides took place near Aathivilai village in Eraniel.Release of water from the Perunchani dam was increased to 30,360 cusecs on early Wednesday morning but decreased to 13,224 cusecs by evening. Sources in disaster management teams said that five teams were monitoring the situation and were carrying out precautionary measures in the four taluks. Two teams were stationed at Vilavancode taluk.
The rescue teams were also trying to evacuate the affected people using boats. “Necessary equipment are on standby and, despite a shortage of the same, we are managing the flood situation,” Sathyama said.
Collector Prashant M Wadnere inspected the flooded areas, Thengaipattinam harbour and the dams in the district. As many as 10 boats were damaged in Vilavancode and 24 trees got uprooted.
1.4 lakh cusec released, flood alert issued
Salem: With inflow to Mettur dam again on a rise, around 1.40 lakh cusec were released for irrigation purposes on Wednesday. Also flood alert was issued to the people living in the low-lying areas. While inflow to dam receded in between, it again gained momentum from second week of August. The dam again attained its full capacity on August 11, following which the inflow was discharged and people of low-lying areas were shifted. The Central Water Commission issued third advisory warning stating that about 2.4 lakh to 2.5 lakh cusec was expected to reach Mettur dam in one or two days from Karnataka dams.