CHENNAI: Madurai district continued to witness record rainfall with the district receiving more than 100mm of rainfall in 24 hours from 6am Friday to 6am Saturday (average of 47.34mm rainfall). Several areas in Madurai city including the eastern and northern parts witnessed heavy water-logging, with many residents forced to stay inside homes overnight in knee-deep water.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Saturday, Chief Minister M K Stalin said the state government had taken measures to dewater the inundated areas.Addressing reporters at the DMK headquarters on Saturday, he said that the two ministers from Madurai, P Moorthy and Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, are camping in the district to take relief measures.
Senior officials from Chennai too have been deputed to Madurai to oversee the work. Earlier in a post on ‘X’, he said, “Giant electric pumps and engineers from nearby municipalities have been sent to Madurai to drain rainwater from the residential areas,” he said, adding that he spoke to the Madurai Collector to inquire about the situation.
A press note from DIPR said 20 locations were inundated and water entered 374 houses in Sellur, Vilangudi, Anaiyur and nearby areas. A total of 161 people have been sheltered in five relief camps, 74 medical camps and 44 veterinary medical camps were organised, it added. Anticipating more rainfall, 102 relief camps have been identified and kept ready.
“All the kanmois are safe and are brimming with water which is flowing into the Vaigai river. Efforts are now on to bail out the water,” Madurai Corporation Commissioner C Dinesh Kumar said.