Several villages marooned in Ramanathapuram district

Outflanking of flood water from Vaigai river caused inundation

Several residential areas, highways and agricultural farms downstream the Big Tank in Ramathapuram district have been marooned as more flood water from Vaigai river outflanked on Thursday.

Roads were submerged for long stretches.

Among the roads that were inundated were Parthibanur-Kamudhi Road at Seyyamangalam, Kavanaur causeway on Ramanathapuram-Nainarkoil Road and Paramakudi causeway.

Though bus services on the submerged roads have been withdrawn since Thursday, people were seen wading through ankle-deep and knee-deep water. In Thoravalur water was seen gushing through the streets.

V. Ramalingam (57) of Thoruvalur said that though water started to inundate their village for three days, the level of water increased after Thursday late evening. “At least 19 houses have water for nearly two-feet and people have moved to other houses and some to the local school. They are being served food since morning,” he said.

Revenue Divisional Officer (Paramakudi), R. Murugan, said that water has started to drain on Friday. He said that though the villages are marooned, not much damage has been reported. “Enumeration of farm land where crops have been damaged due to inundation was being carried out,” he said.

Narrowing of Vaigai

Meanwhile, Executive Engineer, Lower Vaigai Division, S. Mathana Sudhakaran, said that outflanking of flood water caused flooding in several villages.

“Though the width of the Vaigai river is around 500 metres even downstream Parthibanur, it suddenly shrinks to around 50 metres as the river crosses Gangaikondan, Mennanthi, and Muthaloor,” he said. He clarified that it was the natural course of the river and not due to any encroachment.

Flood water that was flowing touching both the banks upstream, when crosses this stretch outflanks, he said.

According to The Hindu archives, similar flooding was reported in the first week of December 2011.

The flood water that inundated the villages will again flow back into the river, he added.

“All this flooding has happened even after regulating the water for filling up tanks in various parts of the district. In the last four days, at least 120 out of 241 tanks have been filled up to the brim. Another 60 tanks have got water up to 75% of their capacities,” Mr. Sudhakaran said.

District Monitoring Officer Dharmendra Pratap Yadav told reporters that though several tanks had been desilted and channels cleared, unexpected rain from Vaigai river had caused flooding after several years.

Along with Collector Shankar Lal Kumawat, he inspected a relief camp at Government Raja Sethupathi Higher Secondary School in Paramakudi, where rain-affected people were provided accommodation.

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