Rain fills up several tanks in Madurai, overflowing water enters houses

In the wake of heavy rain in Madurai city and other parts of the district, many water bodies witnessed an increase in the storage and some of the tanks in Sellur, Vandiyur, Nelliyendhalpatti, Mangalakudi and Kodikulam started overflowing into nearby localities. Water entered into many houses in Koodal Pudur and Sellur. 

Maruthupandian, whose resides on Vaigai Street, Koodal Pudur, said people had been irked over the apathy of corporation officials in initiating precautionary measures in time. He said the bunds of tanks in Pothumbu and the retaining wall of a channel at Koodal Pudur were weak due to poor maintenance. Had repair works been carried out at regular intervals, such incidents would not have occurred.

Lawrence, another resident of the same locality, said many houses were inundated since midnight on Monday. Thankfully, the intensity of the flow subsided by morning. He said Collector S Natarajan inspected the affected areas around 11.30 pm, on Monday. P Veeranasingam of Anaiyur, said though the officials inspected the inundated houses, they did not carry out any relief measure. Residents could not even get drinking water or milk. 

Though such incidents of inundation had been recurring at Koodal Pudur and its surrounding areas, no concrete steps have been taken to prevent such occurrence. 

Around 1,500 houses situated at Koodal Pudur were inundated. Some residents had volunteered to put up 200 sand bags to plug the breach. The Collector after inspection said restoration works would be carried out on a war footing with deployment of adequate personnel. 

He added that with the aid of sufficient earth movers, silt deposits and garbage dumped in portions of water channels were being removed and water flowing through the breach was being diverted into the Vaigai. He said that marriage halls and schools were kept ready as temporary relief shelters. 

As a precautionary measure, the  Government Elementary school at Kamarajapuram, where some portions were under water, was declared a holiday on Tuesday. An electricity pole at Kadachanendhal was damaged, he said.