Water enters Meenakshi temple as rain hits Madurai

A woman was killed and several areas, including the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, were inundated due to the overnight heavy rain on Sunday. The showers accompanied by thunder and lightning resulted in flooding of many pockets.

Sources said that a flash flood in a canal leading to a kanmoi at Reddiyapatti near Usilampatti claimed life of a 45-year-old woman. Sources said that there was a sudden flow into a kanmoi from three channels in which Kala, the victim, who was herding back the cattle home, drowned. 

Madurai Collector S Natarajan said, “Rainwater was flowing heavily through a channel near Oyanda Pattikulam in Usilampatti and entered into nearby villages. Nearly, 12 houses in low-lying areas suffered partial damage. Usilampatti recorded 26 mm of rain on Sunday night.” 

He added that a 25-member team of National Disaster Response Force has been placed on stand-by. The district administration has taken adequate measures to tackle any situation arising out of rain, he stressed.

Meanwhile, Kannyakumari Collector Prashant M Wadnere said, fishermen on board 46 boats, who ventured into the sea, days ahead of the weather warning, could not be contacted. Continuous efforts were being made trace their location and establish contact them with the help of Indian Coast Guard and Navy personnel. 

Of the 646 boats that ventured for deep sea fishing, fishermen aboard 600 boats had been communicated to move to safer shores nearby. While, 520 boats have returned, 80 others were yet to come back. Around 300 fishermen who went into the sea on 46 boats, were yet to return, the Collector added.

Thoothukudi Collector Sandeep Nanduri said except two, officials have managed to contact fishermen on all other boats and have instructed them to return to the shore.

The exact location of 19 fishermen, who set out from Tharuvaikulam coast on two boats were yet to be traced. Two ICG aircraft were conducting aerial survey in different regions to trace the 19 fishermen.

After the red alert warning, heavy rainfall was expected, but the district received less amount of rain. Though there was no casualty, five huts were partially damaged in the district. 

All necessary measures have been initiated to tackle the north-east monsoon. Nearly, 36 vulnerable locations have been identified and inter-departmental zonal teams have been formed to attend to emergency situations. 

Recently, a meeting was convened to explain in detail the roles and responsibilities of officials of each team. Evacuation centres were set up to accommodate the needy. 

The weather department has predicted rain for the next two days in the district following the formation of a depression in the Bay of Bengal.