Rains pound Erode, Namakkal

COIMBATORE: Rains brought misery to people as several residential neighbourhoods were inundated in Erode.

Flooding in ‘Pichaikaranpallam Odai’ led to sewage mixed with water entering more than 100 houses in Annai Sathya Nagar. Minister for Prohibition and Excise S Muthusamy visited the locality and directed authorities to speed up works to pump out stagnated water and take other remedial action.

Similarly, rain water entered more than 50 houses in Mosikeeranar Street and another 30 houses in Nadarmedu Vinayagar Kovil Street following continuous rains all through the night.

Due to flooding, the residents were forced to take shelter on roads, while some moved to other neighbourhoods to stay in houses of their relatives. As water flowed to a height of two feet at KK Nagar Bridge, the vehicle drivers found it difficult to go by the way.

In Namakkal also, rains pounded till Tuesday early morning leaving several areas under sheets of water. Normally, the rain water at Pallipalayam area would drain into Cauvery River.

However, due to ongoing construction of bridge works, water got stagnated in multiple locations including Pallipalayam bus stop and four road junctions. A TNSTC bus from Salem to Erode with around 20 passengers was trapped in waters at Pallipalayam area. On receiving information, the fire and rescue personnel guided the passengers to reach a safer place by tying a rope. Another lorry bound to Salem from Erode got struck in the same place after ramming into a load carrier vehicle. Both the vehicles were then removed by engaging excavators.

As the road remained heavily flooded on Tuesday morning, all vehicles from Salem and Namakkal towards Erode waited in a long queue due to traffic hurdles.

Students waded through stagnant water as school and college buses couldn’t go through the way. Office goers and workers from Pallipalayam in Namakkal took a long walk to reach Erode.