Date:29/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/29/stories/2008082951260300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Heavy rain batters Madurai

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: Many parts of Madurai were marooned on Thursday following heavy downpour all through the previous night. The city recorded 95.4 mm of rainfall.

The heavy rain that started at around 8.30 p.m. and lasted for nearly two hours. The cloudburst almost brought vehicular traffic to a grinding halt on arterial roads. Periyar bus stand area was submerged under more than one-and-a-half-feet water. Similar was the situation on Alagarkoil Road, Gokhale Road, Vilakkuthoon, Yanaikkal and Bypass Road. The city witnessed unusually high flow of vehicles after 11 p.m. as people started rushing home as soon as the rain stopped.

Though it has been raining in the evenings for the past one week, Thursday’s was a hammering that submerged many low-lying areas. The compound wall of a special school in DRO Colony caved in due to heavy rain.

Bund cut open

Corporation officials claimed that they cut open the bund of Sellur tank to avert a breach. Many blockades on the Pandalkudi channel were removed to ensure free flow of rainwater. However, many residences in Singarayar Colony were marooned and water-logging continued till the afternoon of Thursday. Kodikulam, Sambakulam and Surya Nagar on the city outskirts were also flooded.