Container cargo worth over ₹300 crore could have been damaged due to the incessant rain that pounded the Thoothukudi district on Sunday and Monday. Water logging was reported in container freight stations (CFS) and inland container depots (ICD) in Thoothukudi till Wednesday night.
There are 16 CFSs and one ICD in Tuticorin with over 2,000 containers stored in these facilities. In addition, there are cargoes stored in the facilities for exports. The worst affected are the facilities located on the Harbour Express Road, said sources.
The water entered the facilities with both Korampallam Pond overflowing and breaching into villages. Similarly, the lake in Ottapidaram breached and entered the facilities, said sources.
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Meanwhile at the VO Chidambaranar Port, there was power from Sunday afternoon till Wednesday night. The container terminal inside the port is operating a genset but with minimal operations, said sources.
Survey pending
An official of a large CFS operator said a survey can be done only if the water recedes and it will take a couple of days.
Meanwhile, Operations at Tuticorin airport and train services to Tirunelveli resumed after they were suspended for nearly two days due to heavy rain in the two southern districts.
The first flight from Chennai left for Thoothukudi in the morning.
Southern Railway in a release said train operations through Tirunelveli attained normalcy after Tirunelveli Yard was declared fit for train movement at 17.20 hrs on Tuesday. This was after clearing the waterlogging and completion of restoration work.
Train No:20924 Gandhidam - Tirunelveli Express was the first train to roll into Tirunelveli Jn after restoration at 23:05 Tuesday.
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Train No. 12631 Chennai Egmore - Tirunelveli Nellai Express that left Chennai Egmore at 20.10 hrs on Tuesday will run upto Tirunelveli on 20.12.2023 as per normal schedule instead of earlier announced partial cancellation between Madurai and Tirunelveli, the release said.
Meanwhile, restoration works in Tirunelveli – Tiruchendur section, which was affected badly due to the rain, are being carried out in full swing. Consequently, train services between the two destinations have been cancelled today.