A day after a breach in the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) main canal resulted in the inundation of houses and crops in three villages in the Nasiyanur town panchayat, officials from various departments on Saturday started assessing the damage to property and crops.
Breach in the canal on Friday morning had led to water entering houses on Pallathur Main Street, East Street, Adi Dravidar Colony, Puduvalasu, Varavankadu and Karaiyankadu. Water also entered farmlands, affecting the standing crops, including paddy, sugarcane, coconut and jowar. Sixty-two families, comprising 200 people, were shifted to safe locations, and given free dhotis, saris and food.
On Saturday, revenue officials began collecting details of the families affected by the flood. A team led by S. Chinnasamy, Joint Director of Agriculture, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, started assessing crop damage in the villages.
Officials said the damage to sugarcane, paddy, jowar, coconut trees and inter crops was being assessed. They added that a complete assessment could be done only after water in the fields recedes.
“It may take a week for the assessment to be completed, after which a report will be submitted to the government for getting compensation for crop damage,” Mr. Chinnasamy said.
Since water has started receding, many have returned home, while a few others are still at the camps, waiting for the water to recede.
Work is on to plug the breach with the help of earthmovers, as officials are keen on completing the works in 10 days and releasing water for irrigation. Water was released from the Bhavanisagar dam to the LBP canal on August 15, for 120 days, to benefit 1.03 lakh acres of land in Erode, Tiruppur and Karur.
