Fishermen advised to stay ashore amid adverse weather conditions in TN

Chennai, May 27
In light of the forecast for continuous heavy rainfall and strong winds over the Bay of Bengal, the Kanyakumari district administration has issued a stern advisory to fishermen, urging them not to venture into the sea until Wednesday.

The advisory was issued by District Collector R. Alagumeena, citing weather conditions that include wind speeds of up to 55 kmph. Over the past three days, intense rain and gusty winds have caused significant damage across the district.

According to the Collector, 26 houses have been damaged in the taluks of Vilavancode, Thiruvattar, Thovalai, and Kalkulam.

Rescue and relief operations are ongoing, with fire and rescue personnel having cleared 61 uprooted trees across various locations.

Electric infrastructure has also taken a hit, with 181 electric poles reported damaged. Of these, 140 poles have already been replaced, and restoration work is underway for the remaining 41.

In the agricultural sector, 22.59 hectares of banana plantations and rubber trees have suffered damage due to the gale-force winds.

Rainfall continued to lash several southern districts of Tamil Nadu.

In Kanyakumari, Balamore recorded the highest rainfall at 54.4 mm. Tirunelveli district reported an average rainfall of 15.13 mm, with heavy showers in areas such as Papanasam and Manjolai, and light rainfall reported across various other parts of the district, as per the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.

In response to the adverse weather, the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) administration has imposed restrictions on tourist activities. Visitors are barred from bathing or entering the Manimuthar waterfalls in the Ambasamudram forest range.

Similarly, bathing has been prohibited at the Thiruparappu Falls in Kanyakumari district.

Meanwhile, water levels in key reservoirs have risen due to the persistent rainfall.

In Kanyakumari district, the Perunchani Dam has seen a 4-foot rise, reaching 40.05 feet against its full capacity of 77 feet. The Pechiparai Dam has risen by 1.5 feet and currently stands at 36.94 feet, compared to its full capacity of 48 feet.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely and have urged the public to stay cautious during this period of adverse weather.