TIRUNELVELI: Encroachments are the primary cause of waterlogging and flooding at the Tirunelveli Junction Bus Stand, said Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru, who is also the minister in-charge of Tirunelveli district, here on Friday. The minister, after inspecting the bus stand, assured that measures have already been initiated by the Tirunelveli corporation to remove the encroachments.
As two days of heavy rain left many parts of Tirunelveli city inundated, Minister Nehru inspected the rain-affected areas on Friday, including the flooded bus stand, and instructed officials to improve the stormwater drain infrastructure to prevent such incidents in the future. After officials explained to the minister that encroachments along water channels near the bus stand caused water stagnation and flooding, he directed immediate removal of the encroachments.
Speaking to media persons, Nehru said, "Encroachments near the stormwater drain network at the Junction Bus Stand will be removed, and the city commissioner has already begun the work. Measures are being intensified to face the heavy rainfall, and relief shelters have been set up in several locations for affected residents."
The minister also inspected the Nellai canal desilting works, flood relief shelters in Mukkudal, and other affected areas. "The Thamirabarani River is currently carrying 65,000 cusecs of water, and there is no immediate threat to the public. The people of low-lying areas have been accommodated in three shelters," he added. Assembly Speaker M Appavu, district monitoring officer Sandeep Nanduri, District Collector Dr KP Karthikeyan, Corporation Commissioner Dr NO Sukhaputra, MLA Abdul Wahab, and Mayor Ramakrishnan were present.
In Tenkasi, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran, accompanied by the district monitoring officer Sankar and District Collector AK Kamal Kishore, inspected various rain-affected areas and gave instructions to the officials. "The Tenkasi district alone received 20cm of rainfall in the past two days. As the hilly areas received more rain than the plains, rivers and waterfalls of the district are overflowing. We have set up 40 rain relief camps across the district, and seven of them are occupied by 503 residents. Four houses have collapsed in the district," the minister told reporters.