Boats come in handy as rains lash Nagai

NAGAPATTINAM: With rain continuing in the district for the ninth straight day, 15 low-lying areas were inundated on Tuesday. Since Thalaynayar block received the highest rainfall at 8 cm, Kundooranveli and Vandal residents had to use boats.

At least 20 villages in the district have been hit hard with rainfall of 65 cm since October 30. Even though Kollidam and Sirkazhi received the highest rainfall in the initial days of the northeast monsoon this year, Thalaynayar block in Vedaranyam taluk has quickly caught up. With 27 cm of rain recorded the block on Saturday, Kundooranveli, Vandal and Pazhaiyatrangarai in Thalaynayar block are submerged with waters reaching levels of seven feet in some places.

Residents of the village have had to resort to boats as the only means of transport to reach higher ground in areas of Vedaranyam and Nagapattinam. Speaking to Express, R Muthusamy, a daily wage earner from Kundooranveli, said, “Our village is situated to the right of Oradiyampulam-Thalainayar road. From the road, we have to travel a distance of 700 metres on a gravel path to reach our village. As the road is submerged and flood waters are at seven-foot high, we have to use boats to venture outside.” Five fibreglass boats have been taken from Arkkattuthurai with the fuel money collected from villagers.

He added, “Around 1,400 people have been affected and though the district administration has opened shelters, we do not know how many days we would be unable to go to work. We have been facing this problem for three days.” Some students who were unaware the district administration had notified holidays because of the flooding, had left Vandal and reached the main road on Tuesday morning.

Rainwater receding: Min

Thanjavur: Rainwater that had been stagnant in fields across the district over the past few has started to drain, said Agriculture Minister R Doraikkannu.  Talking to media persons in Kumbakonam on Tuesday after distributing the assistance to flood hit,  the minister said as water bodies in Thanjavur district water has started draining through them

Showers evade Tiruchy

Tiruchy: Even as parts of the State, including neighbouring Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts, are being battered by rain, Tiruchy is yet to record any major showers. With delta and tail-end regions receiving copious showers, the PWD has reduced the discharge from Mettur to around 3,500 cusecs from
20,000 cusecs