Standing crops on 35,000 hectares submerged

At least 3,000 habitations have been waterlogged

CUDDALORE: Standing crops, including paddy and groundnut, on 35,000 hectares in Cuddalore district have been submerged. At least 3,000 habitations have been waterlogged and people have been shifted to safer places.

Several villages in Vriddhachalam taluk have been cut off because the causeway at Murugankudi, the vital link with the town, has been overflowing with water from the swelling Vellar. Vehicular traffic has been thrown into disarray in this section.

Health Minister M.R.K.Panneer Selvam visited the rain-affected areas for the second day on Sunday. After having visited the Chidambaram and Kattumannarkoil taluks on Saturday, he inspected Neyveli and Vriddhachalam areas on Sunday.

The swirling waters of the Paravanaru had entered the paddy fields where the farmers had shown the damaged crops to the Minister. They pleaded with him to find a permanent solution to the recurring floods and sanction speedy compensation.

Later, the Minister told the reporters that since Cuddalore happened to be the confluence point for seven rivers, including the Pannaiyar, Vellar, Gedilam, Paravanaru, Kollidam, Old Kollidam and the Manimutharu, it was prone to floods. There was a suggestion that if the course of the Paravanaru were slightly diverted to drain it into the sea at Aruvamookku (sickle-shaped point), floods could be averted.

Village Administrative Officers had been directed to keep the community halls and cyclone shelters ready, stacked with basic requirements.

The Centre had deployed two expert teams to inspect the damaged 16-sluice bridge at Sethiathope that affected the vehicular traffic on the Chennai—Kumbakonam section for the past two days. The traffic was diverted via Bhuvanagiri, Keerapalayam and Allur, a detour of 30 km.

One team headed by Rajesh Pooniya, General Manager of the National Highways Authority of India, and another by P. Hariraj, Director of the Higways Research Station, inspected the bridge and found the tar topping damaged.

Later, the officials arranged for laying a fresh layer of high mix cement concrete and after confirming the stability of the structure, they permitted traffic on the bridge.



http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/29/stories/2007102960061000.htm

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