Tamil Nadu - Thanjavur   

Unprecedented rainfall in Thanjavur district for over a week

THANJAVUR: In terms of number of days in continuity, intensity and quantity the rainfall from November 22 - 28 in the delta district of Thanjavur is unprecedented.

Twenty one centres in the district have recorded a total rainfall of 13,737.29 mm during the week.

The total rainfall was 210.33 mm, 159.1 mm, 1266.30 mm, 2426.10 mm, 2667.79 mm, 5218.7 mm(maximum) and 1789 mm from November 22 to 28 respectively. With no let up for seven days, the rain submerged paddy in about 1,10,000 hectares in Thanjavur district and displaced 90,000 people who are now being moved to safer places.

“As far as my knowledge goes, after 1979 and 1983 when we had floods this is the most damaging and heavy flood in the delta. This is more severe than the previous two in its continuity for seven days and record of 65 cms of rainfall in Orathanadu in Thanjavur distict and 55 in Thanjavur etc. In 1983 food packets were dropped by air when entire Mannargudi-Muthupettai and Nagapattinam stretches were affected in the composite Thanjavur district. Army was called out and brailey bridge was put up in Kandapriyanar river,” said S. Ranganathan, Secretary of Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association.

After that it is only now during this flood food packets were air dropped using helicopters in Thanjavur district. This is unprecedented in that the entire delta had been affected (Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts) while only pockets were affected in the earlier occasions.

Paddy crop on 14 lakh acres from Karur down to Nagapattinam had been affected in the rain. Breaches in Baminiyar, Korayar and Vennar have wrought havoc in Tiruvarur district. Villages like Perugavazhndan remain cut off, he added.

Roads leading to Chennai, Tiruchi and Pattukottai were cut off.

Farmers who harvested a good kuruvai crop this year had to reconcile to the reality that they may not expect the same for samba.

Though actual damage will be assessed after water recedes, that 1.10 lakh hectares out of total samba and thaladi area of 1.40 lakh hectares is a matter for concern.

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