VELLORE: Katpadi received a total rainfall of 14 cm on Sunday night -- highest in the state along with Palacode in Dharmapuri, according to the Indian Meteorological Department -- resulting in several areas getting flooded overnight and rainwater, mixed with sewage, entering households.
According to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Vellore district received an average rainfall of 65.98 mm between 8.30 am on Sunday and 8.30 am on Monday. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall of 120 mm and 140 mm was recorded at stations in Odugathur forest office in Anaicut and Katpadi Railway Station, respectively. Areas such as Rajathoppu Dam (KV Kuppam), Ponnai (Katpadi) and the collectorate received 71 mm, 66.2 mm and 79.6 mm, respectively.
Several areas, including Nehru Nagar, VG Rao Nagar, MGR Nagar, Muthamizh Nagar, Bharathi Nagar, Old Katpadi, Katpadi Chittoor Bus Station, Katpadi Court Complex and taluk office, were inundated with knee-deep water, affecting residents, especially motorists and students on Monday morning.
Rainwater mixed with sewage, ankle-deep, entered scores of houses in said areas. At VG Rao Nagar, several residents worked till noon to drain the water. The residents of Old Katpadi and MGR Nagar said they had spent the whole night draining water from their houses. P Kavitha, a resident of MGR Nagar, said, “Several worms, snails and frogs entered our house.
We also suffer from itching of skin.” S Ravi Kumar, a resident of VG Rao Nagar, said rainwater from Old Katpadi area and Katpadi railway station entered their low-lying area. “If there are proper channels to divert excess water from those areas, we won’t be facing the issue,” he said.
Collector VR Subbulaxmi and Corporation Commissioner P Janaki Raveendran visited flood-affected areas and oversaw the relief measures on Monday.
The collector told mediapersons that the preparatory measures taken by the district administration have resulted in no loss of life or property. She said the waterlogging occurred as there was no channel to drain excess rainwater. “Electric poles that fell on roads were attended to during the night itself. The corporation workers are continuously desilting and working to drain the water. As of now, only MGR Nagar needs to be dewatered. We will work overnight to drain it,” she said, adding that agriculture and horticulture departments are assessing crop damages reported in Anaicut and Gudiyattam.
The collector said the district administration will coordinate with the railway officials to resolve the issue of rainwater from Katpadi railway station and its adjacent road flowing into low-lying areas such as Muthamizh Nagar, VG Rao Nagar and Bharathi Nagar.