A total of 139 houses were fully damaged and 750 partially damaged since the onset of the northeast monsoon in Kanyakumari district, sources in the District Disaster Management Unit (DDMU) said here on Sunday.
Compensation of Rs.30,02,700 was to 111 fully damaged and 597 partially damaged houses, Collector Sajjansingh R. Chavan said at the review meeting of the Flood Monitoring Officer and Managing Director of ELCOT Atul Anand in the evening.
Six persons, including a three and half-a-year-old child and a 90-year-old woman, died in rain-related incidents in the district. A compensation of Rs.4 lakh each was disbursed under the Disaster Management Relief Fund to the kin of the victims, an official said.
Out of the six died, Therasammal (90), Sabeer Bhai (65), Ramachandran (52) and Mohamed Maideen (50) died in wall collapse, while a three-and-a-half-year-old Sanand Jude and Sasi (46) were electrocuted.
Revenue officials are working round-the-clock to take stock of the damage of houses and belongings of households for awarding compensation, the official said.
The DDMU was receiving about 30 to 40 distress calls from the public every day and immediately alerted the Quick Response Teams (QRTs) consisting revenue, Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Service personnel, police, medical and para-military forces for rescue operations, the official said.
Crop damage
Officials estimated that the crop loss due to water stagnation in agriculture fields was on 27.46 ha of 139 farmers across the district. The crops waiting for harvest and in the early stages of sowing were damaged.
Mr. Chavan told The Hindu that the district administration had already sent a preliminary report on flood damage to the State government and now they were preparing a detailed report to be sent to the Union government through the State government.
Moderate rainfall
Tuticorin experienced rain in early morning hours on Sunday. Though the consistent rainfall created a pleasant weather in Tuticorin, residents in some localities were still unhappy over waterlogging.
Irked by waterlogging, some people from State Bank Colony and Kurinji Nagar staged a road blockade on Ettayapuram road and near the fourth railway level crossing demanding early and permanent solution to such recurring water-logging problems.
Later, they dispersed after officials told them that necessary action would be taken. Collector M. Ravikumar said five 50 hp motor pumps had been used to remove water in low-lying areas here. Eighty-one flood victims had been provided food and shelter in two temporary relief camps.
While 50 victims had been accommodated at a camp in Mullakadu, 31 victims were in a camp set up in a community hall at Cruzpuram here, he told The Hindu . With a record of 263 mm rainfall so far in November in the district, it has surpassed the amount of average rainfall, which is 184 mm for this month.
Mr. Ravikumar said the average rainfall from January to November was 568 mm and district experienced 566 mm rains so far. On rain-related incidents during this monsoon season, he said two human lives were lost and 60 cattle died.
Houses numbering 120 were fully damaged and 484 partly damaged. Kulasekarapatinam received the maximum rainfall of 37.50 mm among other stations in the district. Rainfall recorded in mm in other stations was Kovilpatti-3, Ottapidaram -17, Sathankulam-4, Tuticorin-3.30, Tiruchendur-8.50, Vilathikulam-7, Kayathar -12, Kayalpattinam -4, Keela Arasadi- 2, Ettayapuram-3, Kadambur-4, Maniyachi-19, Surangudi-12, Kadalkudi-16, Vaippar-7 and Kalugumalai-8 mm.
Rains also occurred in parts of Tirunelveli district. Ambasamudram received the highest amount of rainfall with a record of 39.60 mm. Alangulam – 32.4 mm, Ayikudi- 10.20 mm, Cheranmahadevi- 15 mm, Manimuthar- 32.60 mm, Nanguneri- 1.50 mm, Palayamkottai- 3 mm, Papanasam – 14 mm, Sankarankovil – 5 mm, Shencottah – 3 mm, Sivagiri – 1 mm, Tenkasi – 1.20 mm and Tirunelveli- 2 mm.
Schools to remain closed
Schools in the taluk-level would remain closed on Monday, said Mr. Ravikumar. After reviewing the situation, it had been proposed to close schools in taluks as a precautionary measure.
