Heavy rain lashes Trichy; good inflow in south TN dams

Trichy/Madurai: Heavy overnight and morning rain lashed Trichy city and its suburbs on Saturday, while dams in southern districts recorded good inflow due to the downpour in the previous days. In Trichy city, the rain inundated low-lying areas, while traffic movement was affected across several key stretches. In the Western Ghats, heavy rain increased water flow at Manimutharu falls near Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli, prompting forest department to announce a ban on tourist bathing in the area.In Trichy, continuous downpour for hours led to flooding in localities like Beema Nagar, Palakkarai, Chathiram bus stand, and Melapudur. Water accumulated in many residential colonies and busy commercial streets, forcing two-wheelers and light vehicles to wade through flooded roads.Major thoroughfares witnessed slow-moving traffic in the city, with long queues reported at important junctions including Chathiram bus stand, Gandhi Market and Palpannai. Commuters faced hardship as buses were delayed and autorickshaws charged exorbitant fares.Despite the inconvenience, the rain brought much relief to residents who had been reeling under an intense heat wave for the past several weeks. Temperatures had been hovering in the high thirties (in degree Celsius) across the district, causing widespread discomfort and heat-related ailments among residents. The downpour helped bring the mercury down considerably.Moderate to heavy rain also poured across the delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai, as well as other central districts including Pudukottai, Karur, Ariyalur, and Perambalur.The rainfall proved beneficial for farmers engaged in early kuruvai paddy cultivation. With groundwater levels dipping due to the preceding prolonged dry spell, the fresh showers provided much-needed water for irrigation and boosted soil moisture. In the southern districts, heavy rain and strong winds near Usilampatti caused a 50-year-old tamarind tree to fall across Madurai-Theni National Highway. Traffic was hampered for around an hour while the tree was being cleared.Moderate rain continued in Natham town in Dindigul district as well. In Tirunelveli district, Oothu recorded 168mm of rainfall and Nallumukku 158mm, while Tirunelveli recorded 10mm.Papanasam dam reported water storage of 44 feet, an inflow of 215.39 cubic feet and an outflow of 100 cubic feet. Manimutharu dam reported water storage of 75.46 feet, an inflow of 99.88 cubic feet, and outflow of 345 cubic feet.In Tenkasi district, Sengottai recorded 70mm of rainfall and Karuppa river recorded 79mm, while Tenkasi recorded 42.2 mm. Kadana dam reported water storage of 32.20 feet, an inflow of 10 cubic feet, and an outflow of 10 cubic feet. Karuppa river dam reported water storage of 33.14 feet, an inflow of 88 cubic feet, and outflow of 3 cubic feet.