Safety measures have been ramped up in the 126 flood-prone areas identified in Vellore, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai as the districts brace for the impact of Cyclone Michaung.
“Residents in low-lying areas like Kansalpet, Makkan and Sathuvachari have been asked to move to safer places. People were also asked not to needlessly venture out of their houses during the rain,” said Vellore Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian, who inspected the low-lying areas within the Vellore Corporation limits on Sunday.
Among the districts, Tiruvannamalai tops the list with 56 areas marked as prone to flooding, followed by Ranipet with 47 flood-prone areas and Vellore (23). Border areas such as Vembakkam (10), Vandavasi (14) and Cheyyar (8) in Tiruvannamalai have been brought under surveillance for relief and rescue measures as they are located near Kancheepuram.
At the Collectorate in Vellore, an integrated control room has been set up for relief and rescue measures during the cyclone. A round-the-clock helpline number (1077) has also been set up for residents to get in touch with the authorities during emergency.
Similarly, separate control rooms have also been set up at each of the six taluks in Vellore: Anaicut (0416-2276443); Vellore (0416–2220519); Katpadi (0416-22976747); K.V. Kuppam (0416-2997219); Gudiyatham (04171-221177) and Pernambut (04171-292748). A total of 26 relief camps with a capacity of 4,889 persons are in place in Vellore.
Ranipet Collector S. Valarmathi inspected the irrigation tanks and check dams in Nemili and Arcot towns on Sunday. A control room has been set up at the Collectorate for rain-related problems. A helpline (9498794987 ) for works requiring the assistance of Tangedco, including repairs to damaged electric poles, transformers and low-lying electrical lines was also introduced.
For other rain-related issues, the residents could dial up helplines 1077 and 04172-271766. People can also send pictures and videos of affected areas to 8300929401. Residents of low-lying areas, especially along the Palar river, have been asked to move to safer places. Temporary shelters have also been set up by the district administration.
Meanwhile, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi, who represents the Ranipet assembly constituency, inspected the rain-affected areas in the district on Sunday. Mr. Gandhi also paid a visit to weaver S. Radhakrishan and his wife R. Vatsala whose mud house in Walajah town recently collapsed in the rain. He handed over a cheque of ₹4 lakh as compensation to the couple.
Another two mud houses had also collapsed in Irular Colony near Nemili town due to the rain.
Old trees along the Kaveripakkam-Sholinghur Main Road and the Arcot-Cheyyar Main Road in Ranipet were uprooted, with seven Tangedco poles on the route incurring damage. Traffic was affected for nearly an hour until the fallen trees were removed. A causeway across Palar in Kaveripakkam breached.
However, Tiruvannamalai and Tirupattur witnessed only light rain on Sunday. Except Arani town, where the railway subway in V.V. Thangal was flooded, most of the major areas including Polur, Cheyyar, Vandavasi and Thandrampet in Tiruvannamalai remained dry.
Tiruvannamalai Collector B. Murugesh has directed WRD officials to decongest water channels that discharge excess rainwater into the 687 irrigation tanks that are maintained by the PWD in the district to prevent inundation in residential areas.
The semester examination for November and December of the Thiruvalluvar University in Vellore, which was scheduled for today, has been postponed. The revised exam date will be announced later, a press release said.
