9.8cm rain brings Madurai to its knees

Unprecedented rainfall in Madurai disrupts normal life, causing flooding and damage, catching residents and officials off guard.

An unprecedented rainfall of 9.8 cm in Madurai district on Friday completely disrupted normal life of people. 

The rain, which started pouring as usual in the afternoon, took a monstrous turn for a few hours and the drizzle continued late into the night. As per official records, in a short span of 15 minutes from 3 p.m., 4.5 cm rain was recorded. 

The downpour inundated the arterial roads such as New Natham Road, TPK Road and the throughfares in K.K. Nagar, Anna Nagar, Sellur, Goripalayam, Chinna Chokkikulam, Narimedu, B.B. Kulam, Tallakulam, etc. Even interior residential areas across the city were not spared.

Residences in Athikulam, Mullai Nagar, Kattabomman Nagar, Othakadai, etc., experienced flooding. As most of the people have not witnessed water inundation on this scale in recent times, they were bewildered, not knowing how to protect their expensive belongings and documents.  

As no heavy rain alert was sounded for Madurai, people were unprepared for the onslaught.  

Compounding the misery of people in Gandhi Nagar near Othakadai, sewage water got mixed with water overflowing from a irrigation canal and the filthy water entered the houses. The residents said that had a structure to stop the flow was built along the canal as they suggested, the flooding could have been prevented.  

“Since insects and snakes come with the water, we can use the house only after the water recedes. As the local administration has not made any efforts to drain the water, me and my son are pouring the water back into the canal using buckets,” the resident said.