Heavy downpour in Sirkazhi, Kollidam
A directly sown paddy field submerged at Puliyanthurai village in Nagapattinam district
Sirkazhi records 309 mm of rainfall
Heavy rain pounded Nagapattinam district inundating large swathes of agricultural fields. Residential localities in Sirkazhi and Kollidam were also inundated. Two cows were killed in a wall collapse at Narayanapuram near Sirkazhi.
The sky opened up in Sirkazhi, which recording a whopping 309 mm of rainfall during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday. Most other parts of the district too received very heavy rainfall during the period with Kollidam recording 239 mm, Manalmedu 158 mm, Tirupoondi 121.4 mm, Talaignayar 108 mm, Mayiladuthurai 102.6, Nagapattinam 95.20, Vedaranyam 80.6 mm and Tranquebar 76 mm.
Water was found stagnating above the level of storm water drains in almost all wards of Sirkazhi Municipality, and the fear of water ingress into households in the event of continuity of downpour loomed large.
Likewise, rainwater inundated several villages in Kollidam area and agricultural fields with directly sown paddy in Aachalpuram, Arapallam, Pulianthurai, Muthalmedi, Mahendrapalli, Alakutti, and Kudakkaramullai.
The tiled roof of an old structure housing the buildings of the Fire and Rescue Service Department in Nagapattinam town, which was vacated due to fear of collapse, gave away . The fire station was shifted to an unused building on the premises of the office of Nagapattinam Panchayat Union. Revenue Divisional Officer of Nagapattinam M. Kannan inspected the weak structure of the erstwhile fire station and ordered demolition of the building.
District Collector S. Suresh Kumar said inter-departmental teams had been formed in each of the eight blocks in the district and immediate assistance would be provided as and when sought through the helpline 1077. Twenty-two canals had been identified as flood prone, and Zonal Officers had been entrusted with the responsibility of evacuating people residing in encroachments along the waterbodies and housing them in safe buildings.
Twenty-seven vulnerable locations, 47 potentially vulnerable locations, 119 moderately vulnerable locations, and 201 minimally vulnerable locations had been identified, and 1,375 first-level responders had been deployed for arranging assistance, the Collector said.
In 270 fair price shops in low-lying areas, stocks that would last for two months had been stored. The stocks included 2,432 metric tonnes of rice and 60,000 kilolitres of kerosene. Wireless mikes had been kept ready to make important announcements.
The district administration, the Collector said, had seen through desilting of 2779 tanks under government control. Twenty-nine flood relief centres had been established. For accommodating people displaced by floods, buildings in 293 schools, 23 colleges, 15 community centres, and 144 other buildings had been kept ready, he said.
