Coimbatore: To cross the Gandhavayal high-level bridge submerged in the flooded Bhavani river, the Sirumugai Panchayat Administration announced that a motorboat transport facility for the public will be made available from today. O K Chinnaraj, MLA of Mettupalayam inaugurated the motorboat transport facility for the villagers today.
Coimbatore: To cross the Gandhavayal high-level bridge submerged in the flooded Bhavani river, the Sirumugai Panchayat Administration announced that a motorboat transport facility for the public will be made available from today. O K Chinnaraj, MLA of Mettupalayam inaugurated the motorboat transport facility for the villagers today.
School children and workers wore life jackets and set off on their free motorboat rides with enthusiasm. The motorboat is said to accommodate up to 30 people with the transport services being expected to continue until the flooded waters in Kandhavayal area recedes. School students in the region were excited about a motorboat ride to cross the submerged areas en route to their schools.
Villages near Mettupalayam such as Gandhavayal, Uliyoor and Allur which are located in the water reservoir areas of the Bhavani Sagar Dam are home to over 3,000 villagers. The water inflow in the Bhavani Sagar Dam has been on the rise due to the flooded Bhavani river caused by the incessant monsoon rains during the last few weeks.
Since the water level of the dam reached its full capacity of 104 ft., the 30 ft. bridge that connects the three villages to Mettupalayam was flooded up to about 10 ft. above the bridge. Over the past week, the water had risen to more than half a km across the bridge. Villagers were stranded without transport and resorted to using ferries to cross 50 ft. deep water. School students have been most affected in this scenario. Following the complaint registered by the public to the district administration regarding their transport woes, and under the order of the District Collector, K Rajamani, the Sirumugai Panchayat Administration announced that a motorboat will be made available to cross the flooded areas from November 6.
The motorboat with a diesel engine was brought from Pollachi's Anaimalai and life jackets were provided to ensure the safety of the villagers who were availing the motorboat facility, considering the depth of the river. Four well-trained men including one driver and four assistants from Kottur Panchayat Administration were recruited.
School children and workers wore life jackets and set off on their free motorboat rides with enthusiasm. The motorboat is said to accommodate up to 30 people with the transport services being expected to continue until the flooded waters in Kandhavayal area recedes. School students in the region were excited about a motorboat ride to cross the submerged areas en route to their schools.
Villages near Mettupalayam such as Gandhavayal, Uliyoor and Allur which are located in the water reservoir areas of the Bhavani Sagar Dam are home to over 3,000 villagers. The water inflow in the Bhavani Sagar Dam has been on the rise due to the flooded Bhavani river caused by the incessant monsoon rains during the last few weeks.
Since the water level of the dam reached its full capacity of 104 ft., the 30 ft. bridge that connects the three villages to Mettupalayam was flooded up to about 10 ft. above the bridge. Over the past week, the water had risen to more than half a km across the bridge. Villagers were stranded without transport and resorted to using ferries to cross 50 ft. deep water. School students have been most affected in this scenario. Following the complaint registered by the public to the district administration regarding their transport woes, and under the order of the District Collector, K Rajamani, the Sirumugai Panchayat Administration announced that a motorboat will be made available to cross the flooded areas from November 6.
The motorboat with a diesel engine was brought from Pollachi's Anaimalai and life jackets were provided to ensure the safety of the villagers who were availing the motorboat facility, considering the depth of the river. Four well-trained men including one driver and four assistants from Kottur Panchayat Administration were recruited.