A holiday has been declared for schools and colleges in Puducherry, Karaikal and Cuddalore district on Monday following incessant rains that lashed most parts of Puducherry and Cuddalore under the impact of a trough of low over Comorin area and its neighbourhood.
Roads take a beating
'The downpour worsened the condition of many roads and localities in Puducherry that had been battered over the last few days. Arterial roads such as Kamaraj Salai, Anna Salai and Needarajapayer Street were inundated. The delay in completing the underground drainage works has made roads unmotorable.
Official sources said Puducherry had received a maximum of 6.8 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday. The city received 4.1 cm of rainfall from 8.30 to 5.30 p.m. on Sunday.
The territorial administration has opened 173 relief centres across Puducherry and its suburbs. Around 35 people have been accommodated in a relief centre on Mission Street. People living in low-lying areas have been asked to move to safer places in the wake of the rising water levels of the Sankarabarani River, according to Collector D. Manikandan.
The average rainfall recorded in Cuddalore in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday is as follows: Chidambaram 36 mm, Cuddalore 30.60 mm, Vanamadevi 30 mm, Bhuvanagiri 23 mm and Parangipettai 19 mm. The water level in the Perumal tank has touched 5.5 feet as against the full capacity of 6.5 feet.
Free books
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Cuddalore district administration initiated steps on a war footing to distribute free textbooks and certificates to children, in the flood affected areas of Cuddalore district, who had lost their certificates and books after their houses were flooded.
Collector S. Suresh Kumar said that the administration had identified the number of affected students in all blocks and books will be distributed free to around 10,769 students in the district.
All arrangements have been made so that children in flood affected areas continue with their studies. The administration will also distribute free uniforms.
Fresh ration cards will be distributed to all families which have lost them in the recent floods. As many as 984 families had applied for fresh ration cards and cards had been distributed to 287 families in the first phase, Mr. Kumar said.
Minister takes up tour
On Saturday Union Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan, who had undertaken a tour of some of the flood-hit areas of Cuddalore district, held a review meeting with the Collector and officials at Panruti to discuss the damage caused to crop, property and infrastructure in the district.
Mr. Radhakrishnan inspected concrete houses that were damaged in the recent deluge at Periyakaatupalayam, Visur and Mettukuppam and interacted with the flood affected sections.
More rains predicted
Meanwhile the Meteorological Department predicting more rains in Cuddalore district on Monday.
The administration has declared a holiday for all the educational institutions on Monday and kept them open to provide relief and accommodation to people if they were affected in the rains.
In a late evening release, Collector S. Suresh Kumar said that essential commodities including rice had been stocked at panchayats located in low-lying areas.
Boats have also been kept ready and inflows into reservoirs are being continuously monitored. Around 5,000 cusecs of water has been released from the Gomukhi dam as a precautionary measure, he said.
Exams postponed
Pondicherry University has informed that the Medical/Engineering/MCA examinations scheduled for Monday stands postponed, due to continuous and incessant rains.
Fresh dates of examinations will be announced later.
Cuddalore district administration initiated steps on a war footing to distribute free textbooks and certificates to children in the flood affected areas
