Chennai, Oct 26 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister K A Sengottaiyan on Monday said 14 people have died due to lightning strikes since the onset of the Northeast monsoon, even as intensifying rains triggered red alerts and prompted authorities to bar tourist entry to major hill stations.
Detailing the state’s monsoon relief efforts, Sengottaiyan said families of the deceased have been provided Rs 4 lakh each as compensation.
He firmly dismissed media reports claiming 35 rain-related fatalities in a single day.
“Whether the remaining reported casualties are natural deaths or caused by incidents like minor wall collapses is being investigated by the respective District Collectors,” the minister clarified.
On the widespread impact, the minister noted that heavy rains triggered 62 landslides in the Nilgiris district, all of which have been swiftly cleared by authorities. Tragically, a rock fell on a bus in the district, killing the driver on the spot, while the conductor sustained a fracture.
The government has issued Rs 4 lakh to the driver’s family, he added.
Highlighting the administration’s prompt response, Sengottaiyan stated that heavy waterlogging in Coimbatore and Tiruppur caused by overnight downpours was entirely drained by 4 am, restoring normalcy.
He also pointed to the unpredictable nature of the monsoon’s cloud movements, saying, “Pudukkottai was given a red alert expecting heavy rain, but not a single drop fell there.”
Preliminary agricultural assessments indicate that 3,500 acres of crops are currently submerged in Nagapattinam district, according to him.
As a precautionary measure, the state has temporarily barred tourist entry into hill stations, including the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, and Yercaud, until the rains subside.
“Locals are permitted to travel only between 6 am and 6 pm with proper authorisation passes issued by the District Collector,” Sengottaiyan added.
Meanwhile, continuous downpour has severely disrupted daily life in Dindigul district. In the Moonjikkal-Dobikana (Topikkanal) area of Kodaikanal, over 20 houses were flooded, forcing residents to spend sleepless nights safeguarding their belongings and livestock.
Local washermen, whose livelihoods depend on daily work, reported a complete halt in their routine.
“Rainwater has entered our homes, and our livelihood is completely paralysed. We request the municipality and the state government to build a retaining wall on both sides of the water channel to prevent this recurring issue,” Ganesan, a local washerman, told PTI Videos.
Another resident, Anita Mary, a daily wage worker, highlighted the severe distress caused by the deluge, stating families were forced to sit awake through the night to save their domestic animals.
Residents also expressed deep concern over a 30-year-old bridge in the area that has developed cracks in the heavy rains. Serving as a crucial link for 600 to 700 families, locals warned that if the structure collapses, the neighbourhood would be completely isolated, cutting off emergency access for ambulances.
The active monsoon has also brought a significant surge in inflows to the state’s reservoirs.
In the neighbouring Theni district, the water level at the Vaigai Dam in Andipatti reached the 50-feet mark (full depth 71 feet) after a gap of nine months, officials said. PTI JR ROH
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