Flood fury leaves Villupuram district battered

Devastating floods in Villupuram district due to unprecedented rainfall leave residents stranded and livelihoods destroyed in 2024.

The sight of Malattaru river, a tributary of the Thenpennaiar, inundating a portion of the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway at Arasur and flooding habitations in the area will perhaps become one of the poignant reminders of 2024, as Villupuram district reeled under record rain.

Unprecedented rainfall on December 1 and 2, triggered by cyclone Fengal, which made landfall near Puducherry, brought Villupuram to a standstill.

The Thenpennaiar and Malattaru riverbeds, which are usually bone dry, were teeming with floodwater that inundated the surrounding areas.

Arasur, Vikravandi, Thiruvennainallur, Arakandanallur, Villupuram, and Tindivanam were the worst affected with hundreds of houses submerged in floodwater, leaving residents stranded for hours.

The unprecedented rainfall, coupled with the release of surplus water from the Sathanur dam in Tiruvannamalai district and the Veedur dam in Villupuram district, fuelled the flood’s fury.

As the floodwater started to recede, the devastation was laid bare. Crops on several thousands of acres had been destroyed, roads and bridges damaged, power lines and trees uprooted, and drinking water contaminated.

Official sources said a detailed assessment of the damage to crops and infrastructure was under way.