A portion of the 300-year-old Portuguese Church in Dhanushkodi, devastated in the 1964 cyclonic storm, collapsed on Friday following heavy rains.
The collapse has come as a set back to the district administration as it had launched a project to preserve the remnants of the architectural monuments in Dhanushkodi on the lines of Ross Island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which was rocked in the 1941 earthquake.
A portion of the sidewall, measuring about 15 ft on the western side of the north facing Church collapsed in the early hours of Friday as heavy rains lashed the island, local fishermen said. No one was present near the structure, they said. Official sources said the island had received 7 cm rainfall during the last 24 hrs.
The State government has engaged eminent conservation architect Asaithambi Gurusamy to preserve the remnants at a cost of Rs 3 crore in a bid to attract domestic and foreign tourists. The architect had already prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the National Highways had provided road connectivity to the town.
Meanwhile, Collector S Natarajan dismissed the rumours that the district administration has proposed to evict fishermen living in five villages in Danushkodi as false. He said the local Tahsildar had issued notices only to those who had encroached the ruined structure and put up shops.
The district administration wanted to fence the area, comprising the ruined structures, which included a 13th century temple, believed to be Subramaniya Swamy temple, some colonial structures, the Railway cabin with semi-circular arch and a hospital without roof as part of the preservation project, he said. “While this is the fact, some mischievous elements were spreading disinformation campaign,” the Collector said.
