Rainwater stagnation in residential areas of Vanagiri panchayat on Monday in Sirkazhi taluk, Mayiladuthurai district | Photo credit: Special arrangement
CPI(M) members on Monday visited T.Manalmeda, a village with stagnant rain water | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Several coastal and riverine villages in Sirkazhi taluk remain waterlogged on Monday even after the intensity of rain eased, while fishing families along the Sirkazhi-Tharangambadi coast are also reporting fresh bouts of sea erosion.
In Vanagiri panchayat, residents said rainwater continues to stagnate in low-lying streets and around houses with no visible drain. Similar conditions prevail in Perumalpettai panchayat, where internal roads and approaches to the shore remain muddy and waterlogged.
In Pazhayar, a government primary school is surrounded by rainwater, disrupting access for children and staff. In Poompuhar panchayat, water stagnation hit sections near tsunami districts, leaving families in resettlement blocks wading through pools of stagnant water for daily needs. In Chinnangudi panchayat too, residents said the standing water has not completely receded from low-lying dwellings.
Fishermen across the Sirkazhi-Tharangambadi belt also reported sea erosion at several places along the coast, including Vellakoil, Perumalpettai, Chinnamedu and Pudupettai, among other villages. They said recent high tides and strong onshore winds have battered parts of the beach and shoreline, narrowing traditional boat landing areas and raising fears of further intrusion into the sea during future weather systems.
Meanwhile, several parts of T. Manalmedu village, an agricultural village in Tharangambadi taluk, remain surrounded by stagnant rainwater due to poor drainage, residents say, calling it a recurring ordeal every monsoon. Sustained heavy rain in Mayiladuthurai district for the past few days has left several villages waterlogged and houses in T. Manalmedu surrounded by flood water. On Monday, CPI(M) district secretary P. Srinivasan and party functionaries visited the affected districts, heard complaints from residents and urged the district administration to drain the standing water as soon as possible, warning that prolonged waterlogging could lead to breeding of mosquitoes and increase in communicable diseases.
Sources in the district administration said that motor engines and pumps have been deployed at several of these places to remove stagnant water from residential pockets and driveways. However, they acknowledged that many fishing villages and post-tsunami quarters are located in low-lying areas with insufficient or non-existent stormwater drains, causing slow water recession even as rainfall has decreased.
Published – 01 Dec 2025 21:36 IST
