Steps taken to avert flooding during monsoon: Tirunelveli Collector

TIRUNELVELI

Collector V. Vishnu has assured that the district administration had done everything possible to avert flooding during the northeast monsoon by desilting all sewage and storm water drainage channels besides desilting irrigation tanks that could receive rainwater to lessen the chances of flooding.

After visiting the renovated Murthy Nainar irrigation tank on 34 acres at V.M. Chathram on Palayamkottai outskirts along with Corporation Commissioner V. Sivakrishnamurthy on Thursday, he told reporters here that all precautionary measures had been taken to meet the northeast monsoon and its consequences like possible flooding in low-lying areas. Armed with the past experience and the data collected during heavy downpour in previous years, over 600 km-long storm water drains across the district had been desilted properly to drain rainwater after torrential rain.

In the Corporation area, desilting of drainage channels had been done for 270 km in the areas where flooding was reported in the past like Manakaavalan Pillai Nagar, V.M. Chathram, Xavier Colony and Tirunelveli Town. Moreover, desilting had been done in the extension areas to avert stagnation of water based on past experiences. Four water bodies including Vettuvaankulam were to be desilted.

He said proper diversion had been done in the channel associated with Thiruppanikaraisalkulam near Tirunelveli so that there would be no flooding this time.

“As dumping of waste into the channels is the prime reason for the flooding, I urge the residents to properly dispose the garbage. Though we’re about to send proposals to the government for constructing walls and fencing the channels from the public’s reach based on the appeals from Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai MLAs in a bid to save the channels from being used as garbage bin, the residents should be behave responsibly and respect the watercourse,” he said.

Under the ‘Nellai Neervalam’ scheme, which is being implemented with the participation of the public and private firms for desilting and rejuvenating neglected water bodies, over 100 irrigation tanks had been desilted so far besides strengthening the bunds to avert breaches. Mounds had been created within these water bodies for planting tree saplings and attracting birds throughout the year.

As the Vaeinthaankulam tank near the new bus-stand had been desilted completely with reinforced bunds, additional storage of 2 TMC had been ensured in the water body.