Schools, colleges shut in southern Tamil Nadu districts due to heavy rainfall
Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari and Tenkasi districts in Tamil Nadu declared a holiday on Monday for all schools, colleges, private institutions, banks, and financial institutions due to anticipated heavy rainfall. Virudhunagar district has also announced a holiday for schools today.
According to the latest weather advisory, light to moderate rainfall is expected in various parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Mahe on December 18. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has highlighted the likelihood of isolated heavy rainfall in south Tamil Nadu, south Kerala, and Lakshadweep on December 18. There is a also significant possibility of isolated very heavy rainfall in south Tamil Nadu on Monday.
Thoothukudi witnessed severe waterlogging as heavy rainfall continued to lash the region. The downpour has led to challenging conditions, with reports of flooding in areas such as Kovilpatti, Ettayapuram, Vilathikulam, Kalugumalai, Kayathar, Kadambur, Vembar, Surangudi, and others.
Kayalpattinam, a town in Thoothukudi, experienced a deluge of rainfall, setting a new record for the highest rainfall in plains within the state in a single day. Meteorological data reveals that a staggering 932 mm of rainfall was recorded within a 24-hour period, surpassing the town’s annual average rainfall.
The incessant rain has caused rivers and lakes around Kovilpatti to reach full capacity, resulting in overflow and potential hazards.
“40 lakes in Kovilpatti Panchayat are full. Two lakes were damaged and we repaired them. We are continuously monitoring other lakes too. If there is a breach in the lake, we are ready to fix it immediately,” said Rajesh, District Development Officer, Thoothukkudi district.
According to the IMD forecast, heavy rain is expected at one or two places over Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, and Thanjavur districts of Tamil Nadu on December 18. The forecast also indicates that on December 19, heavy rain is likely to occur in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Ramanathapuram districts.
Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, KKSSR Ramachandran, said that various precautionary measures have been taken by the government, including the deployment of 250 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Tenkasi districts.
As many as 19 camps in Tirunelveli, four camps in Kanyakumari, two camps in Thoothukudi and one camp in Tenkasi district have been set up to accommodate the public during calamities.