Sudden rains in the last 30 to 48 hours affected normal life in Dindigul and many adjoining areas.
The low-lying areas of Balakrishnapuram and Surveyor Colony were submerged. Some residential colonies looked like islands and rain water entered their homes.
Intermittent rain since late Friday night continued throughout Saturday. Low-lying areas including Bharathipuram, Mettupatti and Thirumalaisaamipuram were engulfed by rain water and there were complaints of waterlogging from residents.
It rained heavily in Natham. 111 mm of rain was recorded on Sunday. Other areas (in mm) recorded rainfall are: Nilakottai 31, Dindigul Town 102.3, Kodaikanal 6.8, Palani 24, Chhatrapatti 16.2 and Kodaikanal Boat Club 49.2, PWD officials said.
Between Athur taluk and Kodaikanal Pulaveli section, some stones rolled off the hill and blocked the road near the Murugan temple. After the highway authorities were informed, the field staff worked for over four hours, after which the climb started around 2 pm
In many areas the sand on the roadside got washed away in the rain. As a result, the drivers had to face horrific accidents. Residents claimed that there were also some cases of gutter mixing in the periphery.
tank break
According to PWD officials, Moongilkulam was filled with 80 per cent water in the recent rains. The sudden rains in the last two days have increased the storage level further. In the early hours of Sunday, a portion of the dam weakened and as a result, the tank broke.
Residents claimed that water entered the houses located near the tank and even after five hours the water flowed into the settlements.
Residents of Surveyor Colony said that the municipal authorities had cleared the land promoters but did not provide any basic facilities. As a result, during such a natural calamity, poor planning and lax attitude of the civic body were exposed.
There were no roads and no street lights. Alagarsamy, a resident of Surveyor Colony, said that riding a motorcycle at a slow speed is also a danger. “We are hopeful that the collector will visit our colony and give relief,” he said.