Fisher hamlets in Sirkazhi reel under water stagnation, sea erosion

Members of CPI(M) visited T.Manalmedu, a rain water stagnated village on Monday
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Several coastal and riverine villages in Sirkazhi taluk remain waterlogged on Monday even after the intensity of rain has eased, while fisher families along the Sirkazhi–Tharangambadi coast also report fresh bouts of sea erosion.

In Vanagiri panchayat, residents said rainwater has continued to stagnate in low-lying streets and around houses, with no visible outlet. Similar conditions prevail in Perumalpettai panchayat, where interior lanes and approaches to the shore remain slushy and waterlogged.

At Pazhayar, the Government Primary School has been surrounded by rainwater, disrupting access for children and staff. In Poompuhar panchayat, water stagnation has affected stretches near the tsunami quarters, leaving families in the resettlement blocks to wade through pools of standing water for daily needs. In Chinnangudi panchayat too, residents said stagnant water had not fully receded from low-lying habitations.

Fishermen across the Sirkazhi–Tharangambadi belt have also reported sea erosion at multiple points along the coast, including Vellakoil, Perumalpettai, Chinnamedu and Pudupettai, among other villages. They said recent high tides and strong onshore winds had eaten into parts of the beach and shorefront, narrowing traditional boat-landing spaces and raising concern about further encroachment of 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 said, calling it a recurring ordeal every monsoon. Persistent heavy rain across Mayiladuthurai district over the past few days has left multiple villages waterlogged, with houses in T. Manalmedu encircled by floodwater. On Monday, CPI(M) district secretary P. Srinivasan and party functionaries visited the affected neighbourhoods, heard residents’ grievances and urged the district administration to drain the stagnant water at the earliest, warning that prolonged waterlogging could lead to mosquito breeding and a spike in communicable diseases.

Sources in the district administration said motor engines and pumps were being deployed in several of these locations to drain stagnant water from residential pockets and approach roads. However, they acknowledged that many fisher hamlets and tsunami quarters are located in low-lying stretches with inadequate or non-existent stormwater drains, causing slow recession of water even when rainfall has reduced.