Heavy Rain Pounds Southern Tamil Nadu

Heavy rains under the influence of a cyclonic circulation lashed southern Tamil Nadu on Sunday inundating several areas in districts including Kanyakumari.

Since the Thamirabarani river is in spate, Chief Minister M K Stalin directed authorities to release surplus water into the Kannadian channel, marking a dry run under a river-linking project in southern Tamil Nadu.

A Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) bulletin said a cyclonic circulation is now seen over the Comorin area and its neighbourhood, extending up to mid tropospheric levels.

On Sunday, heavy rains lashed Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts. Some regions recorded very heavy rainfall. Since Saturday, light to moderate rainfall was recorded at most places of southern Tamil Nadu.Water entered houses in low-lying areas. As reservoirs are filling up fast surplus water is being released.

Several regions in such southern districts witnessed inundation which was heavy in a string of areas and authorities declared a holiday for schools and colleges. Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed. Local authorities and police made arrangements for evacuating people from flooded and vulnerable areas to relief centres.

An official release here said Stalin has ordered release of surplus water into the Kannadian channel which will carry flood water to arid regions in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, benefitting farmers.

The release of surplus water is a preparatory exercise under the Thamirabarani, Karumeniyaru and Nambiyaru (in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts of Tamil Nadu) river-linking project, which is nearing completion.

On December 16, the cyclonic circulation was in the lower tropospheric levels over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal off the south Sri Lanka coast.

From 16 December morning to 17 December morning, isolated, heavy to very heavy rain was recorded in Tirunelveli district.

Also, isolated heavy rain was witnessed in Kanyakumari, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts. Nalumukku area in Tirunelveli district reported the highest rainfall of 19 cm during this period.

For Monday, the RMC has forecast heavy to very heavy rain at one or two places in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts and light to moderate rain at many places in south Tamil Nadu. PTI VGN KH