More than 4800 hectares of farm land esimated to be inundated

: More than 4,800 acres of farmland with standing crop is estimated to have been inundanted in the torrential rains lashing the Union Territory.
District Collector D.Manikandan told PTI today that the directorate of Agriculture had assessed that 4855 hectares with standing crops had been waterlogged. "A clear picture whether the crop had been fully damaged or not would be known only when water recedes", he said.
On damage to houses, Manikandan said 392 homes had borne the brunt of the weather. He said two persons were killed in wall collapse in the peripheral pockets and each bereaved families would be given a solatium of Rs four lakhs soon.

He said the Administration would work out the compensation to farmers as per guidelines of the National Disaster Management Authority.
He said there has been a rise in flood water levels in Puducherrry region with release of water from Veedur dam in neighbouring Villupuram district of Tamilnadu.
He said there was little possibility of water bodies getting more inflow as the reservoirs in the catchment areas had stabilished. Officials of Revenue and Disaster Management department in coordination with other line departments were ensureing there was no dislocation anywhere.
Meanwhile officials of various departments would submit the reports to the Chief Minister at a meeting with him soon carrying assessment of the damanages.

Official sources said that after the report is available government would send it to the Centre for sanction of relief to Puducherry.