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January 05, 2024 09:14 pm | Updated 09:15 pm IST – Rajapalayam
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Rain water flowing through a street at Vagaikulam near Rajapalayam on Friday. | Photo Credit: HANDOUT
Within a gap of 20 days, two villages near Rajapalayam — South Venganallur and Chathirapatti Vaigaikulam — were marooned for the second day on Friday following overnight heavy rain.
The areas along the Western Ghats received torrential rainfall with Rajapalayam reporting 82 mm within a short span of around seven hours till 6 a.m. on Friday.
This was followed by Srivilliputtur 70.30 mm, Watrap 69, Sivakasi 54, Pilavakkal 42.20, Virudhunagar 10 and Sattur 4 mm.
In Vaigaikulam, at least two streets were flooded with knee-deep water. “The flood water entered many houses and the residents were put to untold sufferings,” said Communist Party of India (Marxist) functionary, R. Somasundaram, 60.
He blamed the lackadaisical attitude of the Public Works Department engineers who failed to drain water from the nearby tanks ahead of the rain.
“Even during the December 17 heavy rain, our village was flooded,” he said. With the causeway on Vagaikulam-Ramalingapuram road being replaced with new bridge, the officials had laid a temporary pathway.
“We had adequately warned the officials against using only two pipes in the alternate pathway which would be inadequate to carry the flood water. But, they did not heed to us and as it rained, the water hyacinth blocked the pipes and the streets became flooded,” he said.
During the December 17 flood, three houses were damaged.
In South Venganallur, a similar alternate pathway was washed away by the flood water on Thursday night.
P. Raja, 33, an auto driver said that this has forced the villagers to take a circuitous route of over 12 km to reach Rajapalayam via Nakkaneri, Krishnapuram and Tenkasi Road. “Otherwise, Rajapalayam town is only 3 km from our village through the causeway,” he added.
Students from nearby villages could not come to a middle school functioning in South Venganallur, he said.
Only after the blockages were removed, the flood water that was around knee-deep, drained.
Meanwhile, the rain water destroyed paddy crops for around 2 acres in the ayacut in Puthupalayam irrigated by Karunkulam tank.
Mr. Somasundaram wanted the authorities concerned to take remedial measures as more heavy rain has been predicted for the coming days.
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