Several parts of Cuddalore district continue to reel under floods caused by incessant rains over the last few days, under the impact of the release of surplus water from reservoirs that left the Thenpennaiar River in spate.
Over 11,000 people are at relief centres, mainly in Cuddalore and Panruti taluks.
There are 11 relief centres in Cuddalore, where nearly 9,750 people have taken shelter. In Panruti, there are nine relief centres where about 598 have been accommodated.
People living in around 30 coastal villages on the stretch from Cuddalore to Panruti have been badly affected.
The floods also claimed the lives of hundreds of livestock and disrupted electricity and water supply, plunging inundated villages into darkness for the last two days.
Sources said that about 70,000 cusecs of water was released from the Sathanur dam into the Thenpennaiar River on Thursday. As the inflow increased, the river continued to swell, inundating habitations and farmlands on its course.
The administration faced the problem of “reverse flow of water” when the sea could not absorb the heavy inflow immediately. As a result, the swirling waters changed course and flooded vast areas particularly those located close to the coast.
Around 50 villages surrounding Cuddalore Corporation such as Thazhanguda, Nanamedu, Utchimedu, Kandakadu, Gundu Uppalavadi and Periyakangana Kuppam were completely marooned and remained cut off from the district headquarters.
At Semmandalam and Gundu Uppalavadi, the River breached its banks and inundated habitations.
Traffic has been suspended on several rural roads and the district police have also banned movement of traffic along bridges that are submerged.
Meanwhile, around 33 persons including 28 girls attached to a children’s home in Periya Kanganakuppam were rescued by Fire and Rescue Services personnel and accommodated at a temporary shelter in Cuddalore.
On Saturday, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam inspected flood-hit areas in Alpettai, Thidirkuppam, Kondur, Kondur, Thiruvanthipuram, Periya Kanganakuppam and Cuddalore new town and distributed food packets to the affected.
