In less than a month, the dilapidated Government Taluk Hospital at Vaniyambadi near Tirupattur has got inundated for the second time on Sunday after heavy rain.
Tucked between the bus terminus and the railway level crossing at the New Town, the hospital, which has 144 beds, was flooded; as a result, patients, their relatives, and the doctors and the staff of the hospital waded through knee-deep rainwater.
“Despite the demolition of 49 encroachments along the water channel that discharged rainwater into the nearby lake, the hospital was flooded for a second time. The district administration should find a permanent solution,” said Ambika, Medical Officer of the hospital.
The hospital, equipped with facilities like CT scanner and operation theatres, handles patients from Vaniyambadi, Natrampalli, Alangayam, Jolarpet and Ambur. It functions round the clock. More than 30 villages also depend on it for medical care.
Congested residential areas like New Town and Noorullahpettai and big markets were flooded. Residents in these areas had to wade through knee-deep rainwater.
Rain lashed Gudiyatham, Arcot, Walajah, Arakkonam, Cheyyar, Arani and Jawadhu Hills. Tirupattur district has received the highest total rainfall of 468.70 mm, followed by Tiruvannamalai (452.20 mm) and Ranipet (350.20 mm) till 8.30 a.m. on Sunday.
Among major towns, Alangayam in Tirupattur district received the highest rainfall of 96.60 mm, followed by Natrampalli (Tirupattur) with 96.20 mm and Tirupattur town (78.20 mm). Arani, Jamunamarathur (Jawadhu Hills), Polur, Tiruvannamalai town, Kilpennathur and Thandarampattu in Tiruvannamalai district received good rainfall.
Of the seven taluks in Ranipet district, Panapakkam (Nemili taluk) received the highest rainfall of 54.40 mm. This resulted in the flooding of the low-level bridge that connects Panapakkam and Nemili. The towns of Arcot, Walajah, Arakkonam and Kaveripakkam also received heavy rain.
Vellore received the lowest rainfall, registering a total of 74.70 mm. Pernambut, Gudiyatham, Katpadi and Vellore Old Town received continuous rain.
