MADURAI: The district witnessed a sporadic rainfall of 3.3 cm on Saturday and 0.47 cm the following day, while isolated areas such as Vadipatti recorded a heavy rainfall of 10 cm on Saturday, followed by Sholavandhan and Sathaiyar (7 cm each), according to the meteorological department.
The moderate rainfall in Madurai city resulted in severe water stagnation across its low-lying areas, especially Thathaneri and Goripalayam, which remained waterlogged on Sunday as well.
Late on Saturday night, Collector K J Praveen Kumar inspected the rain-affected areas in the city, including Periyar Bus Stand, Thiruparakundram, and the banks of Vaigai river, and monitored the dewatering efforts.
Water has been drained from areas that witnessed major stagnation on Saturday night, while minor issues would be addressed on Sunday, said officials. M Raja, a civic activist from Madurai, said, "A lack of proper drains has led to stagnation. We expect the city corporation to take action towards addressing such issues before the monsoon."
Meanwhile, farmers from Sholavandhan alleged that a delay in clearing dead stocks at the direct procurement centres (DPCs) in the block has resulted in several hundred tonnes of paddy getting wet in the rain. They demanded immediate action to expedite the procurement of the paddy stocked at the centres.
Senior officials from the TN Civil Supplies Corporation said that only 80 lorries are available in the district to transport dead stock to storage facilities. In Sholavandan, they said, only a portion of the paddy, kept on the top, was affected by the rain, while the remaining stock was largely dry.
The damp paddy has since been sent directly for the hulling process, the officials said, adding that teams have been deployed to monitor such issues.