Ministers visit affected areas, official
machinery geared up
INCONSOLABLE: Parents and
relatives of
the three girls who died in a wall collapse at Marudanallur in
Kumbakonam on Sunday.
THANJAVUR: After eight days of heavy showers under the impact of the
northeast monsoon, paddy crops on hundreds of hectares remained
submerged in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts.
Nagapattinam district bore the brunt with about 36,000 hectares of
paddy crops getting submerged. In Tiruvarur district, 11,000 hectares
of paddy has been submerged. In Thanjavur district, paddy crops were
under water in 598 hectares.
Officials said the water level had started receding following a let-up
in rain. But farmers were keeping their fingers crossed, as more rains
were predicted by the Meteorological department.
On instructions from Chief Minister, S.S.Palani Manickam, Union
Minister of State for Finance, and State Ministers Ko.Si. Mani, S.N.M.
Ubayathullah, and U.Mathivanan visited the affected areas. The
Ministers said the official machinery had been geared up to meet any
eventuality.
Thanjavur district received 291 mm over the past eight days, against
the normal average of 206 for October. In Tiruvarur, 107 villages were
affected and the displaced people provided shelter in schools and other
public places, Collector M. Chandrasekar said. Community kitchens were
functioning in four places.
Nagapattinam Collector Tenkasi S.Jawahar said senior officers would
monitor relief operations at the zonal level in the district, while
officials in the rank of Deputy Collectors were assigned the task at
the taluk level.
Loss in Theni
Paddy crops on thousands of acres at the harvesting stage were
submerged in the Cumbum valley near here owing to a flash flood in
Mullaiperiyar and Kottakudi rivers.
Over 10,000 acres of paddy in Goodalur, Cumbum, Uthampalayam,
Chinnanamanur, Veerapandi and nearby areas were affected.
Approximately, 60 per cent of paddy was not harvested, said farmers.
“The loss is unimaginable… Buyers from Karnataka and Kerala had camped
in the valley for spot procurement.
Drinking water supply was disrupted in the Theni town as wells dug on
the riverbed submerged in the flash flood.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/29/stories/2007102960121000.htm
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© 2007, The Hindu.
