Rain throws life out of gear in delta dists, inundates paddy fields

Trichy: An elderly man and a woman died in separate incidents of wall collapse after heavy rain threw life out of gear in several central districts on Friday. Jayamani, 75, lost her life in Thanjavur after a portion of a wall collapsed on her in Keezhavasal Kaavadikara street. K Vengaiyan, 82, hailing from Veliprinkiyam village, was sleeping at his residence when a side wall of his house collapsed and fell on him, kill him on the spot.
With thousands of acres of paddy fields inundated, farmers have demanded immediate intervention from agriculture and revenue departments to calculate the damages. Andimadam in Ariyalur topped the charts with 38cm rainfall, followed by Meensurutty with 30cm, and Jayamkondam with 21 cm rainfall from 8.30am on Thursday to 8.30 am on Friday. Nearly 400 houses in Vadavekkam village in Jayankondam were flooded. Villagers from V Kaikatti blocked Jayankondam-Virudhachalam highway condemning the district administration for not carrying out proper rescue activities. At least 12 trees were uprooted in Mettu Theru and Manakarai in Jayankondam.
In Thanjavur, Thiruvidaimaruthur recorded 20cm rain, followed by Manjalaru with 19cm, Kumbakonam with 18cm, Lower Anaicut with 17cm, Ayyampettai with 12cm, Papanasam with 12cm and Budalur with 11cm. Nearly 900 acre of samba thalady paddy crops in Narasingamangalam, Saliyamangalam, Viludhiyur and Irumbuthalai were inundated. Farmers in Melattur panchayat protested by standing on inundated paddy fields, demanding compensation for the damaged crops. They complained of poor desilting works in canals having led to inundation. A 100-year-old mango tree fell on the road near Ayyampettai, leading to traffic blockade on the Kumbakonam-Thiruvaiyaru stretch.
In Nagapattinam district, paddy crops on about 3,000 hectares of land were inundated, mostly in Talaignayiru and Vedaranyam. The district recorded 20cm rainfall till 7am on Friday. School education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi visited Puliyanthope and Palpannai Cheri in Nagapattinam and instructed officials to expedite the process of removing rainwater in flood-affected places. He also inspected Perumal Kulam Lake and took stock of the situation in Nagore town on Friday.
According to Mayiladuthurai district disaster management authority data, Sembarnarkoil recorded 18cm, Manalmedu 16cm and Tharangambadi 14cm rainfall. District collector A P Mahabharathi visited flood-affected areas in Arupadhi village and reviewed work carried out by PWD to restore damaged roads.
In Trichy, 450 acre of paddy fields in Lalgudi and 200 acres in Kumarakudi village in Manachanallur block were inundated. "We spent Rs 40,000 per acre for cultivating samba thalady crops. Due to poor desiltation, crops are submerged," Parameshawaran, a farmer from Lalgudi, said. Holiday was declared for schools in Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Pudukottai and Karur, and schools and colleges in Thanjavur, Trichy and Ariyalur districts on Friday.