Thoothukudi, southern Tamil Nadu districts battered by rain, roads inundated
THOOTHUKUDI/KANNIYAKUMARI: With intense rainfall pounding the district on Sunday, Kayalpattinam received a staggering 599 mm of rainfall from 6 am to 10.30 pm. From 6 am till 6 pm, Thoothukudi received an average of 11.15 cm rainfall, one of the highest ever recorded in the district. Various locations of the district saw severe inundation due to the incessant downpour.
Sources said waterlogging in main roads have disrupted traffic in various regions, and the irrigation tanks and kanmois, under the Public Works Department (PWD), remain full to the brim. Following heavy inflow of nearly 15,000 cusecs of water into dams in Papanasam, Servalaru and Manimutharu, the district collector has alerted people residing in low-lying areas to stay away from the course of the rivers. Relief shelters have been opened in 97 l1ocations along the Thamirabarani river between Kaliyavoor and Punnakayal.
In Kanniyakumari, as much as 4,000 cusecs of water was released from Pechiparai and Perunchani dams due to the amount of rainfall. Officials said a flood alert has been sounded for the people residing on the banks of rivers such as Thamirabarani and other low-lying areas as more water would be discharged from the dams.
Due to stagnated roads, bus services were stopped at Derisanamcope and other places. District received an average rainfall of 57.5 mm till Sunday 4 pm. Milk and Diary Development Minister T Mano Thangaraj inspected the Pechiparai dam, Mankadu bridge, and Vaikallur bridge along with district officials including Padmanabhapuram sub collector HR Koushik, water resources department officials and other local body representatives.
The minister said a consultative meeting was held with district collector PN Sridhar and other department officials to expedite the works. A holiday has been announced for all schools and colleges in the district on Monday.