Traffic constable assaulted by AIADMK group near Chidambaram

CUDDALORE: 

        The police have booked cases against Thoppu K.Sundar (40), Chidambaram town secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and a group of his supporters on charges of assaulting a traffic constable.

         Traffic constable Ravanan (36) has been admitted to Chidambaram government hospital. In this connection, the police have secured two persons - Purushothaman, an anti-social element, and Sudhakar, a car driver. The Chidambaram police are on the lookout for others, including Sundar, Suresh Babu, Arul, Sivakumar and some others. Police sources said that on Wednesday morning, Mr. Ravanan was posted at the Pachaiyappa school road junction to regulate traffic when he noticed two cars cruising through Sabanayakar Street, unmindful of the stretch being a one-way.

        Sundar and his supporters were travelling in one of the cars. It was followed by another car, in which Kumaratchi union AIADMK secretary A.K. Pandian and his followers were travelling. When Mr. Ravanan signalled the cars to stop, they did not oblige. When he tapped on the bonnet of one of the cars as it passed by, the AIADMK functionaries stopped the vehicle and picked up a quarrel with him. However, Mr. Ravanan said that he would not allow the vehicles to pass through the wrong side of the one- way. The irate AIADMK men forcefully opened the car door, pushing down Mr. Ravanan, who standing close to the vehicle. They assaulted him and sped away.

Based on a complaint from Mr. Ravanan, the Chidambaram police booked cases on the AIADMK men under the following sections: 

Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 

506 (2) (criminal intimidation), 

353 (deterring a government servant from discharging duty), 

332 (causing hurt), 147 (rioting) and 

294 (indulging in obscene act) of Indian Penal Code.

Later, Superintendent of Police P.Pakalavan called on the constable at the hospital.

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NLC to help the flood-hit

CUDDALORE: 

         The Neyveli Lignite Corporation has come to the rescue of flood-affected people in peripheral villages at Neyveli. NLC Chairman-cum-Managing Director A.R.Ansari visited several villages and interacted with villagers to get firsthand knowledge of flood damage. Mr. Ansari said that he had constituted an official team headed by NLC General Manager (land acquisition) N.S.Ramalingam to assess the flood damage and file a report. So far, the NLC had distributed 1.7 lakh food packets in affected villages such as Melpathi, Keezhpathi, Pudhu Eri, Romapuri, Oothakkal, Kalgunam, Kumaratchi and Melpappanapattu.

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Barrages, check-dams in Cuddalore sought

CUDDALORE: 

          Vice-president of Cauvery Delta Farm Producers' Welfare Association and president of Kollidam-Keelanai Paasana Vivasayigal Sangam K.V. Kannan said it was time permanent flood control measures were put in place in Cuddalore district.

         In a representation addressed to Collector P. Seetharaman, he suggested construction of barrages and check-dams at regular intervals across rivers such as the Kollidam, the Gedilam, the Vellar, the Then Pennaiyar and the Manimutharu. Particularly, the Kollidam, which used to carry large quantum of water, needed at least seven barrages, each to be built at a height of 7.5 metre with protective walls on either side stretching to a distance of five km. Already, the Cauvery system had four such barrages, with three more under construction. This system too required nine more barrages.

Heavily silted

          Mr. Kannan also said that the Ponneri, popularly known as Chola Gangam, near Gangaikonda Cholapuram, was heavily silted. So, it used to get filled quickly and the excesses were flowing through the Karuvattu Odai to the Vadavar and then into the Veeranam tank. If the Karuvattu Odai flow was directed to the Kollidam, the flood problem in this region could be tackled.

           The Veeranam tank and the Ponneri should also be deepened and bunds strengthened. A regulator should be set up on the Velliangal Odai which carries discharge from the Veeranam tank at Kumaratchi. At the time of floods, the flow should be directed through a drainage channel (to be dug at this point) to Keezhparuthikudi to join the Kollidam. Another channel from Manavaikkal to the Kollidam via Udaiyur would also mitigate the flood problem. Mr. Kannan said that if these measures were implemented Kattumannarkoil and Chidambaram taluks could be protected from floods on a permanent basis.

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