Rain cheers tourists to Kodai, falls and coconut growers

MADURAI: Heavy rains continued to lash Madurai and parts of southern districts on Monday reducing the effect of the ongoing Kathiri.

Tourists to Kodaikanal had a good time as the hill station witnessed a heavy spell. The showers started around 3 pm and continued for around three hours. Owing to the downpour the climate turned pleasant on the ghats and many tourists took a stroll though there was heavy flow on roads.

The scene was similar in parts of neighbouring Theni district. Visitors enjoyed their baths as there was good flow in the Kumbakarai Falls near Periyakulam in the district. Later, the forest department restricted tourists from approaching the waterfalls as a precautionary measure, sources said.

T Perumal, national vice president, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Vadipatti, Madurai, said the present continuous downpour would be of good help for the crops, especially coconuts. The showers have brightened the prospect of farmers getting a good yield. The wet spell would be beneficial to farmers, especially those practising rainfed crop cultivation. The much-awaited rain would be a boost to fodder crops, which have withered due to the long dry spell this summer. Before the arrival of rains, many cattle rearers from Dharapuram of Tirupur district were selling their livestock owing to difficulty in getting fodder. The situation is all set to change after the recent showers, he said.

In Tirunelveli, rains accompanied by gale uprooted a pandal put up at a traffic beat near Kokkirakulam.

After months, tourists started flocking Courtallam falls following showers in parts of Tenkasi district. Sankarankovil and its surroundings also witnessedgood rains.

In Kanniyakumari district, Chittar-I received themaximum amount of rainfall of 80.2 mm, sources said.