TIRUNELVELI: Around 400 families of Sindhupoondurai on Monday demanded that the state government give them at least Rs 15,000 as relief assistance, and claimed that each family had lost belongings worth Rs 1 lakh to the floods last week. The area was inundated after the Thamirabarai River was in spate following torrential rain, on December 17 and 18.
Living around 50 feet away from the river, residents of Sindhupoondurai faced the wrath of floods following an inflow of 1.45 lakh cusecs of water due to extremely heavy rain. According to residents, water levels in the area had reached around five feet.
Speaking to TNIE, S Kombaiah, a resident, said, "I have survived two major floods in the last 50 years. The recent floods, however, have caused the most damage. Each family in our area has lost belongings worth at least Rs 1 lakh. These include dresses, electronic appliances like televisions and fridges, and our two-wheelers. The NBFCs, that we took out loans from, are asking us to repay. The fridge in my house is irreparable after it got submerged in the flood. The state government should consider giving residents at least Rs 15,000," he added.
It is to be noted that the majority of the residents in Sindhupoondurai are wage labourers, whose livelihoods have come to a halt. The loss of belongings has come as a bigger blow.
T Marimuthu, another resident, said that his family members do not even have clothes to wear. "Both my kids are wearing what was given by a volunteer. The LED television, which I bought a couple of months ago on a loan, is beyond repair. Even though it comes with a warranty, the showroom that I bought it from, has asked me to wait till the completion of the warranty period," he rued. S Valli said that her mixie and grinder were damaged. "All our clothes in the bureau were wet and muddy. I am trying to dry them under the sun. At least five horses and a significant number of goats in our area were washed away," she added.
When TNIE visited the area, many residents were still staying under the trees on the riverbank, since their houses were yet to be cleaned. Although the residents had been relocated to a relief camp, they are now back in their locality. Groceries and household waste lay strewn on the streets, and are yet to be cleared by the corporation. The structure that is supposed to be for wastewater treatment, constructed in the river bed, is also submerged. As a result, sewage continues to be discharged directly into the river and flows beside the habitat.