Coimbatore: The record-breaking rainfall left the district in a mess, leading to residential areas and city’s underpasses getting flooded. Public places including markets turned slushy.
This prompted Coimbatore collector K Rajamani and corporation commissioner Kumaravel Pandian to inspect water draining works across the city from 1am to 3am on Thursday. Corporation officials had to work well after 1pm to open the city’s underpasses for traffic.
Though rain stopped by 6am, the old Avinashi Road flyover, underbridges near Kikani school and Lanka Corner could be opened only around 1pm. Office-goers found themselves cramming into alternate routes. Avinashi Road flyover saw heavy traffic jams between 8.30am and 10am.
The Sanganoor canal began overflowing as water flow was blocked by garbage and debris. As a result, areas near the canal like Anna Market were covered with slush. “The relocated flower market on Brooke Bond Road was also unmotorable and unwalkable. We lost a day’s business,” said flower seller D Jeyaraj.
There was severe waterlogging in and around the newly-constructed Avarampalayam bridge, which corporation workers had to drain out. “We also drained out water from the playground of Mani Higher Secondary School,” said Pandian.
While a house collapsed in Eri Nagar in Ammankulam, there were reports of vehicles getting stuck on roads. “Roads collapsed in places the corporation had dug up for laying drinking water pipelines. Vehicles parked along roads were stuck,” said a commuter in Puliakulam.
Aathupalam canal and Annan Thambi check dam near Govanur overflowed.
But farmers, who are getting ready for sowing, welcomed the heavy rain, which recharged the groundwater table.