VELLORE: In the heavy rain that lashed Vellore, Tirupattur and Ranipet districts overnight on Wednesday, a 200-metre-long bridge providing access to around 40 acres of agricultural land partially collapsed in Vellore's Ammundi village.
Speaking to TNIE, N Subramani, one of the farmers and residents in the area, said that more than 40 farmers use the bridge to reach their farms. Owing to the collapse, they are using an alternative mud road for now.
As per official data, with an average rainfall of 45.89 mm, Ranipet received the highest rainfall among the three districts from 6am on Wednesday to 6am on Thursday. While Vellore received rainfall of 37.50 mm, Tirupattur received rainfall of 35.56 mm.
In Ranipet, the lake located behind the Walajapet Government Headquarters Hospital reached full capacity following the downpour on Wednesday, and excess water entered the village through KK Nagar, a residential area along the lake’s banks. Ranipet has been experiencing continuous heavy rain over the past few days, increasing inflow into lakes and ponds across several areas.
Whereas, in Vaniyambadi and its surrounding areas, rainwater mixed with sewage has been flowing through the service roads on both sides of the national highway over the past few days, affecting commuters and the general public alike. Besides, vehicles passing through the roads often get submerged in the water. Due to the absence of proper drainage facilities, such situations continue to prevail in the area, sources said.
Amid this juncture, residents have urged the public works department and the local panchayat administration to take immediate action to construct proper drainage channels for the rainwater. Also, the encroachments in the areas must be removed, they said.
In another incident, government and private buses plying on the national highway to Ambur and Vaniyambadi got stuck after the vehicles slipped into rainwater-filled ditches. The buses were later recovered with the help of a crane. Further, a tree fell in the Samiyar Madam area, causing an electric pole to break and fall. Heavy rains have also caused flooding in the areas of Rettithoppu, A Kasba, and Krishnapuram, sources added.