A three-member Central team inspected badly damaged drinking water supply systems in the district on Thursday to assess the quantum of damage caused by the recent floods in the Tamirabharani, the drinking water source for three southern districts.
During its 20-minute-long stay at Seevalaperi on the Tamirabharani watercourse near Palayamkottai, the team, comprising Ashutosh Agnihotri, Ministry of Home Affairs, Manoharan, Director, Directorate of Oilseed Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Hyderabad, and Mahesh Kumar, Deputy Director, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, inspected the TWAD Board’s infiltration wells damaged in recent floods, which were repaired later. Before leaving for Thoothukudi district to assess crop damage, the team received a detailed report from Collector V. Vishnu on the damages caused by the recent rains and consequent flood in the Tamirabharani to crop, drinking water facilities, infrastructures and private properties like houses.
Though the district experienced its worst floods in the Tamirabharani between January 11 and 14 after the 1992 deluge, the men and material deployed immediately and adequately by pooling in local resources ensured restoration of 50% of drinking water supply to the residents within 48 hours from the flood subsided. Of the 19 Combined Drinking Water Supply Systems in the district, 18 were affected badly with infiltration wells, supply pipes and pumps gravely damaged to completely hit the drinking water supply.
“While drinking water supply to 50% of residents was restored within 48 hours by spending ₹8.86 crore, residents in other areas were given drinking water through tankers,” Mr. Vishnu said adding that another ₹32.50 lakh was required for restoring the 45-year-old Kovilpatti drinking water supply scheme benefitting five village panchayats in Maanur union.
On the crop damage, he said that paddy cultivated on 163 hectares and pulses grown on 5,839.70 hectare were damaged in recent rains.
In Thoothukudi, the team inspected the massive loss caused by the rains to rain-fed crops, mostly grown in Kayathar, Kovilpatti, Vilaathikulam and Pudhur taluks.
“The district has lost the rain-fed crops grown on over 1 lakh hectare in the district,” Collector K. Senthil Raj told the visiting Central team and handed over comprehensive report on the damages to crops, infrastructure and drinking water supply systems.
