Rains lashed Thoothukudi and many parts of the district.
The drop in temperature, cheered the residents. It started raining around 7.30 a.m. and continued for about twenty minutes. The downpour was intermittent and left many roads leading to Thoothukudi town waterlogged and battered. Vehicular traffic was badly affected especially on Victoria Extension Road.
However, farmers in the district were not happy with the amount of rainfall received.
K. Perumal, a farmer, the rains that they received this North-east monsoon season was not sufficient.
P. Murugesan, general secretary, Southern Dry Land Farmers Association, Pudur, said various pockets of Vilathikulam received a considerable amount of rainfall. Mostly, crops such as maize, black gram, green gram, chillies and onion were being cultivated, he said. Krishnamurthy, farmer from Ettayapuram said only 20 percent of the crops sown could be cultivated as most pockets in Ettayapuram taluk had not received adequate rains.
Joint Director of Agriculture, P. Vanniarajan told The Hindu that the average rainfall during this monsoon season from October to December is 429.4 mm. Until November 15, the district should have experienced 236 mm rainfall, but only 113.55 mm has been recorded.
With this rainfall record, the district is facing rainfall deficit of 51.89 percent, he said.
The highest amount of rainfall recorded on Tuesday was 71 mm in Vilathikulam. Rainfall recorded in Kovilpatti was1 mm, Ottapidaram – 2mm, Sathankulam -2 mm, Srivaikuntam -13 mm, Thoothukudi -26 mm, Tiruchendur -15, Kayathar -3, Kulasekarapatnam -29, Ettayapuram -27, Kadambur -15, Surangudi -7, Kadalkudi -27 and Vaipar -4 mm, sources said.
