Tamil Nadu: 15-minute downpour floods Madurai

Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Oct 26 (PTI) Unprecedented rain that lashed Madurai, especially the 4.5 cm rainfall received in a mere 15 minutes on Friday evening, brought several parts of the city under huge swathes of water.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said the state government was closely monitoring the rescue and relief activities being carried out on a war-footing to bring normalcy to Madurai and its neighbourhood.

He has deputed two ministers to carry out the rescue and relief work in the affected areas and has also advised the district collector to take necessary action.

"A team of engineers, workers and giant electric motors have been mobilised from the nearby municipalities to drain out the rainwater from the residential areas," Stalin said in a post on the social media platform 'X'.

Medical camps have been established at 20 places and people from the affected areas have been safely accommodated in three camps. The district monitoring officer has been deputed on October 25, while the Chief Secretary and disaster management commissioner were continuously monitoring the work, he added.

Speaking to reporters at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK state headquarters here, Stalin, said the rainwater was drained last night. Water entered the houses at eight places in Madurai. Precautionary measures were in progress as the IMD has forecast more rain today, he said.

The rainwater entered into the habitations, and knee-deep water caused hardship to the residents. Amidst apprehension of the Kanmois (traditional waterbodies) getting breached, people found it difficult to safeguard their belongings as the water flooded their houses.

"All the Kanmois are safe and are brimming with water which is flowing into the Vaigai river. Efforts are now on to bail out the water," Madurai Corporation Commissioner C Dinesh Kumar said.

There were complaints of inundation in as many as 12 locations under Zone 1 and 6 under Zone 2. I was there when it rained heavily on Friday evening in Sellur. Now the water has receded by one foot and we hope it will be drained completely soon," Dinesh Kumar told reporters here.

The affected people have been lodged in four relief centres and were given food, water, and medicine, he added.

"Our workers and JCBs are on the job to clear clogging and ensure normalcy. All kanmois and channels are intact and no damage has been reported," Kumar said.

State Commercial Taxes Minister P Murthy and IT Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan visited the flood affected areas and consoled the people.

"The Kanmois were originally constructed to conserve water for agriculture purpose and were connected to discharge into the Vaigai river," Thiagarajan said.

The unprecedented rain on Friday alone caused 10 cm rainfall. As the rain pounded, Madurai received 4.5 cm rainfall from 3 pm to 3.15 pm on October 25, according to the India Meteorological Department. This has led to waterlogging in several low-lying areas, including Athikulam, BB Kulam, Mullai Nagar, Kadachanenthal, LBT Nagar, Tamukkam, Thallakulam, Azhagar Koil Salai, Goripalayam, Simmakkal, Nelpettai, Keelavasal, and Yanaikkal bridge.

"There was no major loss as the administration has taken preventive measures," Murthy told reporters later.

According to the Commissioner, the city has experienced continuous rain for the last 25 days, recording 260 mm rainfall, which was 60 mm above the average.

The district collector, M S Sangeetha, visited the rain-hit areas and took measures to expedite the efforts to drain the stagnant rainwater. PTI