Homes flooded, traffic stalled as heavy rain batters Madurai

Madurai: A heavy spell of rain lashed Madurai city and suburbs on Wednesday evening, flooding residential colonies and throwing peak-hour traffic out of gear. The downpour, which began around 3.45pm and continued till 5.30pm, drenched the city with nearly two hours of uninterrupted rain, leaving both arterial stretches and interior roads submerged.

The timing of the showers, coinciding with schools and colleges closing for the day, added to the chaos. Parents struggled to reach children as school buses and vans were stuck in bottlenecks across several stretches, including Alagar Kovil Main Road and Vaigai river bank road.

Several areas reported severe waterlogging. Traffic slowed to a crawl near Periyar bus stand, Arapalayam, Kamarajar Salai, Teppakulam, East Veli Street, South Veli Street, Villapuram, K Puthur, and DRO Colony. In Karumbalai, residents had to wade through waist-deep water as drains overflowed into houses. "Every time it rains heavily, our streets turn into canals. We have been demanding proper stormwater drains for years," said M Surya, a resident of DRO Colony.

At Manjalmedu in Arapalayam, rainwater entered several homes, forcing families to shift belongings to higher ground. Along the Vaigai river bank road near Alwarpuram, two-wheelers and cars were stranded in knee-deep water, creating long traffic snarls.

In another incident, a school van got stuck in a pit near Surya Nagar on Alagar Kovil Road on Tuesday evening. Residents said the van sank into the middle of the Meenakshi Nagar road around 5pm, though no injuries were reported. "The road is unsafe for children and motorists. Despite repeated complaints, the road is not repaired," said T Khaja, a resident of Surya Nagar.

Madurai corporation officials said pumping operations were deployed in low-lying areas soon after the rain subsided. Inspections were also ordered along Alagar Kovil Road to address hazards left after drainage work. However, residents pointed out that temporary measures such as pumping offered little relief unless stormwater drains were desilted and upgraded ahead of monsoon.

Meanwhile, Dindigul city recorded 80mm of rainfall on Tuesday, while Kodaikanal received 62mm. The district administration declared a holiday for classes 1 to 5 in Kodaikanal on Wednesday. For classes 6 to 12, where quarterly examinations are underway, the decision was left to respective school heads, according to a release from the district collector.