The district experienced widespread rainfall in the early hours and the afternoon of Saturday, thanks to the upper air cyclonic circulation.
As the incessant drizzle that began in the early hours continued in the morning also, Collector M. Karunakaran declared holiday for all schools. The incessant drizzle made almost all roads slushy and motorists had a tough time traversing these stretches.
The small stretch between Melapalayam traffic island and VST mosque junction is in the worst shape and a warning sign board has been kept amidst a pool on this stage highway leading to Papanasam. Even after several two-wheeler riders fell at this point and sustained injuries on Saturday, no action has been taken to repair this road and make it at least motorable.
Mayor E. Bhuvaneshwari visited VOC Ground, Saalai Street in Vannarpet and a few more areas where rainwater was stagnating. The Corporation personnel were rushed to these spots and the stagnant rainwater was drained.
As a huge tree fell at Ayyappan Nagar in NGO Colony, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Palayamkottai Fire Station cleared it. The personnel of Ambasamudram Fire Station removed an age-old coconut tree that crashed down following overnight rain.
Rainwater surrounded good number of houses at Medina Nagar near Kadayanallur as the surplus water discharged from Karuppanadhi dam via Paappaan and Seevalaan Channels entered the residential area due to rampant encroachments and lack of desilting. Condemning the Kadaynallur municipality’s failure in draining the floodwater and the Public Works Department in removing the encroachments, the Tamil Nadu Thowheedh Jamaath organised a demonstration at Kadayanallur on Saturday evening.
Rainfall in the district (in mm): Nanguneri 65, Palayamkottai 62, Karuppanadhi dam 42, Adavinainar dam 40, Nambiyar dam 37, Radhapuram 29.20, Sivagiri 25.20, Ramanadhi dam 25, Tirunelveli 24, Ambasamudram 22.30, Papanasam dam 16, Cheranmahadevi 14, Veerakeralamputhur and Aayikudi 10.20, Manimuthar dam 8.40, Tenkasi 6.40, Servalar dam 6, Gadana dam 5, Alangulam 3.20, Shencottai 3 and Gundar dam 2.10.
Water level in dams (in feet with maximum capacity in feet in brackets): Papanasam 87.45 (143); Servalar 100.43 (156); Manimuthar 66.10 (118); Gadana 74.80 (85); Ramanadhi 74 (84); Karuppanadhi 71.52 (72); Gundar 36.10 (36.10); Adavinainar 107 (142); Vadakku Pachchaiyar 26.25 (67); Kodumudiyar 31 (57) and Nambiyar 15.06 (25).
