Cuddalore stands up to downpours

Chennai: The coastal districts of Tamil Nadu received heavy surplus rains during the first week of the Northeast monsoon and there were complaints pouring in from Nagapattinam, Kancheepuram and Chennai. But, interestingly, the disaster-prone Cuddalore withstood the surplus rains, thanks to the lessons learnt during the 2015 flash floods during which more than 10 people were washed away.

“Cuddalore received 97.4 mm of excess rainfall against its normal annual rainfall of 401.mm and there was no alarming situation for the district and the situation was better in Cuddalore”, sources disclosed. The State Disaster Management committee said that till now Kancheepuram and Nagapattinam have shown more signs of not having taken the pounding well.   

“Despite surplus rains and the heavy downpour during the first week of November, Cuddalore withstood the monsoon impact and more than
Rs 150 crore has gone into the flood mitigation works related to Cuddalore”, said a state official.

During the tenure of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa projects worth Rs 231 crore were sanctioned and more than 60 percent of the basic work had been completed. And now new stormwater drainage work at an estimated Rs 30 crore is underway and there are civic projects under MPLAD and revenue department to another Rs 29 crore awaiting completion.

Upon completion of all these projects, the district will sustain heavy rains for two reasons, first the projects and second there is no unplanned development in the backward district, the official explained.

“Strengthening of Gadilam river from Visoor to Devanampattinam has helped during this rain and there was a visible flow of stormwater, but Cuddalore needs long term water management plans,” said farmer Arul Palani of Cuddalore.