Heavy rain throws life out of gear in Ramanathapuram

Padmavathi, who was sleeping inside the house at the time of the incident, said she woke up and rushed outside after hearing the sound of the wall collapsing. The rain, which began around 10.45 pm on Friday, continued till 5 am the next day.

Sources said Rameswaram received 226.2 mm, the highest rainfall in nearly nine years. Pamban (152.6 mm) and Thangachimadam (150.3 mm) also experienced heavy showers.

Speaking to reporters, Ramanathapuram Collector K Veera Raghava Rao, who inspected the inundated areas, said two teams comprising Deputy Collectors, Revenue Divisional Officers, Tahsildars and other officials have been deputed to assess the damage caused to households following the heavy rain.

“Houses at eleven localities between Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram, and in parts of Pamban and Thangachimadam were inundated by the rain. With the aid of machines and earthmovers, water is being drained out at five localities. Works are being undertaken in full swing to pump out stagnant water in the rest of the localities. 60 field workers are on the job to ensure restoration,” the Collector said.

“However, fishing operations remain unaffected. Fishermen ventured into the sea as usual as there was no weather alert from the IMD restricting them from engaging in their routine at sea,” he added.

Elsewhere, catchment areas in Tirunelveli district also received a good amount of rain leading to an increase in water levels at nearby dams. Water level at Manimuthar dam touched 100.15 feet, while Papanasam (121.10) and Servalar dams (130.18) have already crossed the 100 feet mark.

The following is the rainfall recorded in Dindigul district till 8.30 am on Saturday: Dindigul (14.10 mm), Natham (21.5 mm), Oddanchathram (10.2 mm) and Kodaikanal Boat Club (7.5 mm).