The overnight sharp showers that lashed various parts of the city and rural areas left one dead, one injured and few houses marooned in Madurai district.
The rain that started around 12.15 a.m. brought copious water leaving thick sheet of water all around the city roads. Accompanied by lightning and thunder, the rain inundated several low lying areas. Even Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple premises was flooded in the night. However, the temple authorities acted swiftly and pumped out the water early in the morning.
Floodwater rendered some 200 people in Oyyandanpatti near Usilampatti immobile. Their houses were marooned and were shifted to relief centre where food was also provided. The officials cleared various blockages and let the water from Ayyanarkulam drain into Vinnakudi tank.
Seventeen sheep were charred to death after lightning struck them at Maruthankulam near Madurai on Monday night.
A 67-year-old woman, M. Ochammal, who was trapped inside a house that collapsed in Lingappanaickanur was rescued by Fire and Rescue Services personnel.
At Maghizhankundu near Othakadai, K. Amutha, 40, sustained fracture on her leg when a mud wall fell on her when she was fast asleep in her house. She has been admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital, the police said.
Meanwhile water stagnation on streets and roads put the city residents to inconvenience. A car parked in an apartment in Athikulam went up in flames after lightning struck it, the police said. A portion of the compound wall there was also damaged. However, no one was injured.
Water gushed into the house of one D. Saravanan in Gomathipuram. His belongings, including a computer, were submerged in water, the police said.
Swift action
Acknowledging that there were inundation in few places in Madurai City, Collector S. Natarajan said that swift action was taken to drain the water.“We have delegated powers to officials at the lower level to engage machinery as required to drain the water so that there is no delay in getting approvals,” he said.
The Collector said that officials have been given instructions to give top priority for cleaning up and removal of encroachments along supply channels. On Tuesday, he said that a special drive will be carried out to remove encroachments and seemai karuvelam (prosopsis juliflora) growth inside and along Vaigai river.
Appeal
Madurai City Police Commissioner, S. Davidson Devasirvatham, has sought volunteers help to work with the police in helping flood-affected people.
In a statement, he said that people who knew swimming and interested to assist the police can register themselves with the nearest police station. They would be involved in rescuing of flood-affected people and shifting them to safe places.