RANIPET/VELLORE: Incessant rains triggered by cyclone Mandous inundated crops in 1,592 hectares in Ranipet district, according to the data released by the district administration on Saturday.
Six houses were fully damaged in Ranipet. Around 55 thatched huts and 38 houses were left partly damaged, data showed. Six cows, two goats, and three calves died but no human casualties were reported.
A total of 1,988 paddy groundnut, and black gram farmers in Ranipet were devastated by the rains. Paddy cultivated in 1,437 hectares was inundated, said the data, Similarly, rains flooded 109.91 hectares of groundnut crops, and 45 hectares of black gram.
In the wake of the storm and heavy winds, plantain crops cultivated in over six hectares were damaged in Mosur village near Thimiri. In another incident at Arapakkam, over 400 plantain trees cultivated by three farmers were damaged in the winds.
Trees were uprooted due to winds in Sholingur. Officials removed the debris, using earthmovers. Meanwhile, district collector D Baskarapandian inspected waterlogged Uthirampattu, and officials pumped out water.
Meanwhile, residents Samathuvapuram in Melapulam were shifted to a relief camp. In Ranipet, residents faced power outages for over 10 hours, due to strong winds. The collector informed residents that the district administration is taking immediate action to assess and repair the damages. Three electric poles were damaged after a coconut tree fell on them in Sambasivapuram near Walajah, official sources said.
In Vellore, the spell of rains has flooded the causeway across the Uthirakaveri river in Melarasampattu near Odukkathur. The public has been warned not to cross the flowing river. Residents along the banks of the river have been warned not to venture out near the river. Collector Kumaravel Pandian inspected the water-logged Mango Mandi in *where* in the district. He instructed officials to drain out waterlogged areas.
In Tiruvannamalai's Padavedu, plantain crops were also destroyed in the rains.