Thamirabarani river in spate in Nellai

TIRUNELVELI: Water released from the major dams in Tirunelveli district, coupled with the fierce flood streams have put this southern district's lifeline, Tamirabarani river in spate on Friday, and it is carrying a volume as high as 30,000 cusecs of water at the time of filing this report. The heavy flows in the river inundated the houses at the low lying areas on either side of its banks here and forced the residents at Melapalayam, Kuruchi, Kurukkuthurai in Tirunelveli city to move to relief camps set up by the district administration.

The road level bridge across Tamirabarani river at Karuppanthurai village was fully submerged in the flood waters affecting traffic movement to Melapalayam. Further the Kurukkuthurai Murugan temple and several stone “mandapams” along the banks of Thamirabarani were completely submerged in water. A newly built bridge across Nambiyar river at Thirungudi near Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district was washed away by the flash floods in the river.

A state express transport corporation bus heading to Tirunelveli from Ernakulam on Friday morning was washed away by the flood flows in Harihara river near Shengottai. However, all the 40 passengers in the bus including the driver and conductor were rescued by local villagers without any injury. The rains, however, is viewed as divine boon by the farmers, who rejoiced at the increasing water levels at all the 1,229 system tanks in Tirunelveli district. According to Thoothukudi farmers, all the 53 systems tanks in Thoothukudi district too received good inflows. More than 700 rain-fed tanks in Tirunelveli district also got good inflows.

Water level at Papanasam dam has reached a comfortable position. With an inflow of around 24,359 cusecs, its level reached 129.10 ft against its maximum height of 143 ft. Around 5,765.09 cusecs have been discharged from the dam. The 118-ft high Manimutharu dam, as on Friday evening, was just  short of 14-ft to reach its maximum height. Registering an inflow of 14,155 cusecs, PWD sources feel that the dam would reach its full capacity in just two or three days.