NAGAPATTINAM: With Velankanni recording 17 cm of rainfall – the highest in the state over a 24-hour period ending on Tuesday morning, normalcy in the district took a hit, with farmers facing the brunt as about 9,000 acres of samba and thaladi paddy cultivation came under rainwater.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, at 15 cm, Nagapattinam town recorded the second highest rainfall in a 24-hour period ending 8.30 am on Tuesday. Vedaranyam and Thirupoondi received around 11 cm each. With this, low-lying areas like Sebastian Nagar and Sivasakthi Nagar in Velankanni and villages like Periyanariyankudi and Pappakovil suffered the worst inundation. As a result, residents of Pappakovil were evacuated to relief camps on higher grounds.
Collector Johny Tom Varghese told TNIE, "We are taking active steps to drain the water in low-lying areas using motor pumps and earthmovers. We are providing food for those in the relief camps. We are informed that the intensity of rain will reduce in the coming days. We will announce holidays for schools and colleges depending on the situation.” He inspected the work carried out across locations to drain out rainwater.
Meanwhile, around 30 huts and three concrete houses across the district collapsed in the downpour. Six head of cattle also perished. As for the impact on farming, farmers struggled to drain out rainwater from their fields in which samba and thaladi paddy cultivation have been taken up. According to the district administration, around 9,000 acres of samba and thaladi cultivation is under water. Much of the inundated crop is in the vegetative stage and around a month old.
This comes when kuruvai paddy raised over 30,000 acres in the district withered in August due to lack of water for irrigation. C Sivakumar, a farmer from Palaiyur in Nagapattinam block, said the medium-duration thaladi crop he cultivated over a few acres has come under rainwater. “I could not get good yield during kuruvai cultivation and I am now concerned about losing thaladi crop completely." Fishers also suffered as the fisheries department warned against venturing into the sea in view of the inclement weather. P Murugapandi, a fisher representative from Seruthur in Keelaiyur block, said,
“We were netting good varieties such as seer and salmon as we were venturing across directions. The rain is playing spoilsport." As for small-scale salt producers in Vedaranyam who completed production in October, they said they could not carry out works like loading and transportation due to the downpour. V Senthil of Vedaranyam Small Scale Salt Manufacturers Federation said, "We have about 30,000 tonnes of salt stock remaining to be marketed.
We can only resume after rain reduces in intensity." In Mayiladuthurai district, Kodiyakarai, Thalaignayiru and Mayiladuthurai town recorded 10 cm rainfall reach. Perumalpettai and Vellakovil in Tharangambadi taluk suffered brief inundation due to the clogging of drain channels. Collector AP Mahabharathi told TNIE, "We have removed the clogs as a temporary measure.” There was clogging reported in Mayiladuthurai town as well. Trees were uprooted in some areas in Mayiladuthurai, affecting traffic and power supply. In Karaikal, which received 14 cm of rainfall, Collector A Kulothungan inspected waterlogged areas and flooded fields.