MADURAI: While the coastal south and Delta districts faced the fury of rains in the last few days, Monday proved to be the turn of Madurai to encounter the wrath of the skies.
Though the downpour offered a big relief to Maduraiites, normal life was also paralysed in most parts of the district both for the general public and some sections of farmers. Since Sunday evening, excessive rains in Temple City also inundated several low-lying areas.
Most areas in the city recorded around 35 mm of rain. Some houses at Managiri, Avaniyapuram, DRO Colony, Tagore Nagar, and Kalangarai were flooded and earthmovers were deployed to drain the water.
An auto-rickshaw with six passengers fell into a small pit in Sellur as the driver was plying on the wrong side. Some passengers suffered minor injuries, sources said. However, no other rain-related incident was reported.
Meanwhile, T Perumal, the national vice president of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Vadipatti in Madurai said the rains are an advantage as the paddy sowing is under way in several pockets.
In Dindigul, Vedasandur town received a maximum rainfall of 66.50 mm. Unable to withstand the effect of the recent rains, a two-storeyed old house on Pichai Maideen Street in Therku Ratha Veethi collapsed. However, no casualty was reported.
Kanniyakumari witnessed a downpour for the last three days. The discharge from the Pechiparai dam on Monday was scaled down to 400 cusecs from
500 cusecs on Sunday. A flood warning has been issued to people residing in areas along the banks of Tamirabarani.
A 62-year-old man identified as Riaz Ali from Chennai drowned in the river while taking a bath in Ulakkai Aruvi in Thovalai taluk on Saturday evening. The Fire and Rescue Services personnel recovered his body at Azhagiyamandapam on Sunday. As a precautionary measure, Kanniyakumari administration imposed a ban on bathing in Thirparappu Falls.
The coastal areas of Rameswaram, Pamban, and Thangachimadam witnessed incessant rains since Sunday evening, sources said.