Kanchi on flood alert as rivers swell

CHENNAI: Kancheepuram district, dubbed as the southern gateway to the capital Chennai, reported flooding in several areas, thanks to the heavy downpour due to cyclone Mandous for the past two days. The district continued to record rainfall on Monday leaving the arterial Vegavathi river flooding. The villagers on the riverbed were moved to relief camps set up by the district administration along with their cattle.

The Kancheepuram district received 18 cm of rain due to the Mandous cyclone, flooding the Vegavathi river, located in the middle of the district. As storm waters started entering the residential areas, the revenue authorities sounded a flood alert. A few days ago the district administration requested the people to vacate their houses and move to relief camps set up by the government in various places. Though the request met with a poor response, with the situation turning worse on Monday, residents had to be evacuated.

On Sunday night, the water level rose and started entering houses in Thayarkulam, and MGR Nagar. Rescue teams shifted residents along with their cattle to relief camps.

Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts have 909 lakes of which 439 have reached their full capacity. “The surplus rains indicate there would be no water scarcity during the summer for Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts. Vedanthangal bird sanctuary is also brimming which will help both irrigation and bird migration in both the districts,” opined bird watcher N Balaji of The Nature Trust.