Date:27/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/27/stories/2006102716200600.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Low pressure trough brings heavy rain

Special Correspondent

Coastal districts will continue to receive widespread rain

CHENNAI: Several places in the State experienced heavy rain on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning as the trough of low pressure persisted over the southwest bay.

According to the Meteorological office, the coastal districts may continue to receive widespread rainfall while interior parts of the State are expected to witness fairly widespread rainfall on Friday. Thanks to the vigorous northeast monsoon, most places of the State received rain. Northern coastal districts and the composite Thanjavur district witnessed heavy rainfall.

Some areas that received high amounts of rainfall were in and around Chennai. Tamaraipakkam, one of the catchments for the city reservoirs, recorded 15 cm while Meenambakkam and Red Hills received 14 cm each. Sriperumpudur, Tambaram, Ponneri and Tiruvallur recorded 11 cm each, whereas Sirkazhi, Parangipettai and Ramanthapuram received 10 cm.

In the Cauvery delta, Nannilam registered 8 cm while Thiruthuraipoondi, Papanasam, Kumbakonam and Pattukottai received 7 cm each. Nagapattinam and Thanjavur recorded 5 cm and 4 cm respectively. Authorities stopped the release of water from the Mettur dam to the delta for irrigation.

In Cuddalore district, the Veeranam tank, which supplements the water supply to Chennai, and the Lower Anicut, which feeds the tank, recorded 8 cm each. The intensity of rainfall was less in southern districts. Papanasam and Manimuthar, dams located in the Tirunelveli district, recorded 3 cm each.