2 killed in wall collapse, homes and crops destroyed as heavy rain batters Kumari
Heavy rainfall has battered Kanniyakumari district over the last two days, claiming two lives and destroying nine homes.
While Eugene (31) of Manjalumoodu, Vilavancode taluk, died after rain entered the tiled house caused a chunk of wall to fall out, a two-year old girl, Regina, of Enayam Puthenthurai, Killiyur taluk, died of a similar cause, sources said. Among the houses damaged, four were reported in Agastheeswaram, four in Thovalai and one in Killiyur. Moreover, the rain, accompanied by strong winds swept through some areas of Killiyur taluk and a few trees were uprooted at 10 locations, causing damage to electricity poles in 12 areas.
However, Tangedco personnel restored electricity supply after taking up repair works on a war footing. Several banana plantations in parts of Thovalai, areas in Rajakamangalam were damaged, but officials are doing a crop damage assessment to ascertain the extent of damage. Tapioca farms also remained inundated in a few parts of Melpuram following a breach in a tank and paddy fields at Manavalakurichi, sources said. Water was seen gushing from the Tamirabarani river channel as well.
The copious flow of rain also refilled water reservoirs and the level at Pechiparai, one of the major dams in the district, stood at 43 feet against its maximum capacity of 48 feet.A flood alert has been issued and people living in low lying areas by the dam were asked to be cautious. If the water level in Pechiparai goes up by three more feet, water would be released from the dam.
Twelve evacuation centres have been set up in six taluks and one at Pallikal was kept ready for people to be evacuated, if the need arises. Of 24 zones, 16 have been identified as highly vulnerable, but these places have not received much rain thus far. Kottakudi, the high altitude river along the Western Ghats of Bodinayakanur in Theni district, is in spate after rainfall in catchment areas. Windy rain caused crop lodging in paddy fields in Koolayanur village. Farmers, however, were delighted as the showers would benefit rain-fed crop cultivation in Uthamapalayam, Andipatti and Kadamalaikundu, sources said. In Tirunelveli district, minor crop damage was reported in Nanguneri, Collector V Vishnu said.
