Madurai
Intermittent rains lashed Madurai district on Friday morning, bringing cheer to the residents and farmers.
The city witnessed rainfall till around 11 a.m. Water-logging was witnessed in low-lying areas, including Simmakkal, Kalavasal, Vilakkuthoon, Kamarajar Salai and Periyar Bus stand.
An official from the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation said that water stagnation and slushy roads near Periyar Bus stand posed a severe hardship to road users.
“An elderly couple was struggling to wade through the puddles of stagnant rainwater near the Periyar bus stand on Friday morning,” said the official.
Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel removed a tree that was uprooted on Alagarkoil Road because of the rains.
Several stretches that were riddled with potholes and craters were filled with rainwater, making it difficult for motorists to identify danger spots, said L. Selvam, an autorickshaw driver.
Collector T. Anbalagan said that there was no major water stagnation in the district on Friday. Separate teams have been formed to monitor and take necessary steps in the event of flooding at the 27 vulnerable spots identified in the district, he added.
Farmers, especially those who grow paddy, were a happy lot as rains gave them the hope of assured irrigation. G. Murugan, a farmer from Vadipatti block, said that the current storage in the Vaigai dam would not be sufficient to supply water for irrigation till the harvest season. "With the commencement of the northeast monsoon, we are hopeful that the storage in the dam rises," he added.
However, the prices of flowers reduced due to the rains, said S. Ramachandran, President of a flower vendors association at the flower market in Mattuthavani. “The jasmine, which was sold at around ₹ 250 per kg in the morning, came down to ₹ 100 by evening,” he said.
The customer footfall at Vilakkuthoon and nearby areas was lower on Friday morning because of the rainfall, said Ashraf Tayub, Secretary of Tamil Nadu Textile Merchants Association.
“But, more people started visiting by afternoon. However, the sales has been lower this Deepavali season mainly owing to the financial distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.