Heavy rain in 3 southern districts

Thoothukudi district, with a total of 409 mm, recorded the highest rainfall for 24 hours, ending at 8 am on Saturday. Vilathikulam received 107 mm, while Kovilpatti got 41 mm. 

Similarly, rains were also witnessed in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts. Ambasamudram (22.3 mm), Manimutharu (20 mm) and Kodumudiyaru (15 mm) got the highest rainfall in Tirunelveli district.  In Kanyakumari district, there has been incessant rain in the last four days, leading to a considerable drop in the temperature. 

The rainfall has brought a cheer among farmers, who started ploughing their land on Saturday, celebrated as the Tamil New Year.

In the northern part of Thoothukudi district, where dry land farming is practiced, farmers commenced the cultivation work on a positive note. 

“Farmers traditionally start sowing on the first day of the Tamil year. This year, we are having the support of rainfall unlike the previous years,” said Varadharajan, state vice president, MDMK (Farmers Wing). 

In a tragic incident, a four month-old infant was killed after the roof of a house collapsed in Thachanallur in Tirunelveli due to incessant rain. The baby, identified as Aruna Harshita, was sleeping in a cradle tied to a wooden beam in the roof of the house. With the roof becoming unstable due to the continuous rain, a part of it collapsed on Friday night, following which the baby was caught under the rubble. Although Harshita was rushed to a private hospital, she was declared dead on arrival.