TIRUNELVELI/TENKASI: The southern districts continued to be battered by the torrential rains for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. The overnight downpour added to the discharge into the Thamirabarani river from Manimuthar and Papanasam dams. This was the highest discharge into the river (53,273 cusecs of water), since the 1992 floods which killed 17 people.
As much as 23,980 cusecs of the discharge came from the Manimuthar dam, and Papanasam dam added another 25,914 cusecs into it. PWD officials said that this could be recorded as the first unseasonal rainfall in Tirunelveli district in the month of January.
Meanwhile, farmers claimed that over 6,000 acres of paddy fields near the river banks were inundated. Agriculture Joint Director Kajendrapandian said that inspections were carried out across the district to analyse the damages which will be reflected after two days.
The downpour in the Western Ghats also resulted in flooding at all the three major waterfalls in the tourist destination, Courtallam, in Tenkasi district. Traders who had hoped to get sizeable revenue by transporting vegetables ahead of Pongal suffered a loss as the major Alangulam and Pavoorchatram markets wore a deserted look following the heavy rains.