Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and former Minister M. Manikandan inspected the marooned residential areas at Thangachimadam, which bore the brunt of the rain fury on Saturday night.
After the incessant rains abated on Sunday morning, Mr. Rao and Mr. Manikandan, accompanied by officials and fishermen leaders, visited the worst hit Rajiv Gandhi Nagar and Ayyan Thoppu in Thangachimadam, wading through knee-deep water and ordered immediate steps to drain the stagnant water.
Thangachimadam and Rameswaram received the highest rainfall of 118 mm and 110mm respectively. Heavy rains battered and inundated several residential areas in the island, throwing normal life out of gear. After rainwater entered the residential areas, the district administration shifted the marooned people to the relief centre and made arrangements for food, drinking water and medicines.
Mr. Rao directed officials in the departments of revenue, rural development and disaster management to initiate immediate steps to drain out the water and ensure that people accommodated in the relief centre returned home at the earliest. A section of the affected people became restive when Mr .Manikandan, who represented the Ramanathapuram Assembly constituency, offered free rice and clothes to them. They turned down the offer, stating that they would resume normal life if the stagnant rain water was drained out.
Later, Mr. Rao inspected the mechanised fishing boats which suffered damage after gusty wind swept the Mandapam south side sea in the early hours of Sunday. He said after the fisheries department officials completed the assessment of extent of damage, the boat owners would be compensated, he said.
As the district received total rainfall of 803.80 mm on Friday night and 1,127 mm rainfall on Saturday night, all the 15 Zonal teams, constituted for disaster management have been pressed into service, he said.
