KANYAKUMARI: Rains that wreaked havoc and caused extensive damage in Kanyakumari district for the past few days, ceased on Tuesday. Other districts too experienced a dry day with cloudy weather.
The estimated damaged due to the rains, was put at Rs 212 crore, of which Rs 152 crore loss was incurred by the electricity board, minister for revenue and disaster management K K S S R Ramachandran said after inspecting the district on Tuesday.
The damage to public works department (PWD) establishments was estimated at Rs 33 crore and highways Rs 27 crore. These would be taken to the notice of the chief minister M K Stalin, he said. Steps would be taken to prevent low-lying areas in the district from getting inundated, he added.
“The rains had ceased and water was beginning to drain off but we should act with caution,” Ramachandran said after holding a review meeting with officials of various departments in which minister for information technology Mano Thangaraj, Kanyakumari district collector M Aravind participated.
Ramachandran said that 101 transformers had been submerged in water and electricity supply was disrupted.
“Required goods were obtained from Madurai and Tirunelveli for the repair works. Power supply was disrupted in 3,661 houses in the district and connections have been restored to 2,922 houses. Forty-five of the transformers still continued to be submerged hence there was delay in restoring them,” Ramachandran said.
Paddy in 35 acres, 120 acres of banana crops, 4.5 acres of tapioca crops and 2.5 acres of vegetables were submerged and damaged due to the rains. As many as 337 people were kept in temporary shelters and steps would be taken to compensate the farmers and public, he added.
