Famine in 1878 killed 65,000 people in Madras Presidency alone, of starvation and diseases caused by malnutrition. British colonizers didn’t know what to do, the numbers for all of South India (and the rest of India) were not known but based on Madras Presidency statistics, it was not good news. The government of Madras presidency may have set up relief work, on a smaller scale, but the famine became so extreme: one of the worst India has witnessed.
Before the agricultural revolution, how England was to Ireland, similarly, to South India, Eezham was the same. Any time South India faces a crisis of some sort, people from there always migrate to Eezham. Similarly, when the drought hit in 1876, many from South India migrated to Eezham via the ship that was run by the Ceylon government. Stats show that from the Pamban Port [from Ramanathapuram], between November 1 to 23rd of 1876, over 10,000 people migrated to Eezham.
It also mentions people migrating from Thoothukudi in large numbers. Those who were able to find a job worked and settled in local areas while sending money to their loved ones back home. Those who were unable to work or find a job, settled in relief camps where they were provided with food and shelter. According to stats in March of 1877 from Madurai, of the 150,000 people who lived in 1101 villages, about 17% [23,600] of them moved to Eezham. The migration of these people also benefitted the plantation employers in Ceylon. This led to them assisting these migrants as well. There was a relief center was created in Kandy as well. The main purpose of this relief center was to serve meals for those who were unable to find a job. The government of Ceylon wanted to assist these migrants and promised to increase public projects which would in turn increase the number of employment.
Not every migrant had a success story; the ones who were not physically strong died even before crossing the sea, from diseases like cholera. From a report in 1877, it was mentioned that about 4,000 people waited daily to cross the sea to make it to Eezham. Most of the migration took place from the following locations: Palani, Thindukal, Thiruppuvanama, Puthukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Salem, and Thirchirappalli.
Source: The famine campaign in Southern India, Madras and Bombay Presidencies and Province of Mysore, 1876-1878 - ii
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