Following the heavy rain in Kanniyakumari district over the last several days, all villages, including areas like the Pechiparai dam and Cape Comorin, have been submerged in rainwater. The three major rivers — Palyar, Valliyar and Thamirabharani — are in spate, and their water has entered main thoroughfares and neighbouring villages, especially after the rain on Friday night and the release of excess water from dams.
Paddy, coconut, banana and rubber, grown on thousands of acres, have been submerged. A total of 18,000 cusecs from Pechipari, 20,000 cusecs from Perunchani and 2,000 cusecs from Chittaru were released. The average rainfall on Sunday was 109.53 mm.
Revenue Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, who inspected the affected areas, said that as the Poigai dam had reached its capacity, water released from it had entered waterbodies in Chenbagaramanputhur, Thellanthi and Thirupathisaram and breached them. “The water flooded the neighbouring villages. Similarly, a breach in the lake at Thovalai flooded the low-lying areas,” he said.
On Saturday evening, water from the Palayar, recharged with a fresh spell of rain, entered the Thanumalayaswamy temple at Suchindram. Since roads on the riverside are flooded, transport services have been terminated. The Tirparappu falls are roaring dangerously.
“We have not been able to tap rubber for the last two months because of the rain. It has affected the livelihood of farmers and labourers. The rain has also caused damage to the banana crops,” said G. Anil Kumar, assessing officer, Rubber Skill Development Council.
Mr. Ramachandran said villages in the Thovalai and Agastheeswaram taluks were the worst affected. Paddy fields in the northern region of the district, the rice bowl of the erstwhile Travancore, are under water, and have turned into an enormous waterbody, with patches of green showing up. Rubber plantations in the western parts have also been inundated.
“Water has entered almost all places, and all six taluks have been affected. Our immediate priority is to ensure the safety of people. The district administration has launched rescue operations on a war footing,” said Information Minister Mano Thangaraj, who hails from the district.
He said the government would work out a permanent solution, after addressing immediate issues like providing compensation to the affected for the loss of crops and cattle and damage to houses. “There is a unanimous opinion that encroachments choking waterbodies have resulted in floods. We have to remove them,” he said. His views were shared by N. Thalavaisundaram, AIADMK MLA, representing Kanniyakumari. “Waterbodies have not been maintained for years. Encroachments on them have also contributed to the flooding,” he said.
