Coimbatore city received the maximum rain in the district at 52 mm on Monday, showed the rainfall data recorded by the Agro Climate Research Centre at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
Monday’s rainfall exceeded the rainfall received in Cincona, Valparai, Chinnakalar, Sholayar and a few other places that very often recorded good precipitation. And, this marked the arrival of North East Monsoon, said sources.
The overnight rainfall saw water entering low-lying areas and inundating underpasses. Sources in the Coimbatore Corporation said all underpasses in the city – Avinashi Road, North Coimbatore, Kaleeswara Mill, Ramnagar-Shastri Road, SIHS Colony, and Ondipudur Weavers’ Colony were filled with rainwater.
The Corporation started the work to pump out water from most underpasses only on Tuesday morning. Barring the Avinashi Road underpass, it was able to remove water after a couple of hours of working the motors.
At the Avinashi Road underpass, so much was the water stagnation in the morning that it was only a foot or two beneath the casing covering the railway track. The Corporation hoped to completely remove the water only by late afternoon, but it would not be able to if rain resumed, the sources said. The Corporation had closed the underpass for traffic.
The Corporation sources also said water entered a few houses in Konavaikalpalayam, Muthusamy Colony, Brindha Nagar near Ponnaiahrajapuram, Pullukadu, CMC Colony on Variety Hall Road and a few other localities. The civic body deployed sullage lorries to draw out water.
No major case of inundation of houses was reported, the sources said. The Corporation had readied sandbags as a precautionary measure.
Sources in the Water Resources Department said Kolarampathi, Narasampathi, Krishnampathi, Selvampathi, Kumarasami, Selvachinthamani, Ganganarayana Samudram, Sottaiandikuttai, Kuniamuthur Sengulam, Ukkadam Periyakulam (Big Tank), Valankulam, Kurichi, Vellalore, Singanallur, Odderpalayam, Kannampalayam, Irugur, Sulur Big Tank and Semmandampalayam – all tanks in the River Noyyal system – were full.
Following Monday’s rain, the Department had opened sluices in those tanks and was continuously monitoring the situation.
The rainfall recorded at 8 a.m. on Tuesday for the preceding 24 hours was - Annur 4mm, Mettupalayam 29.1mm, Cincona 3mm, Chinnakalar 19mm, Valparai PAP area 6mm, Valparai Taluk 5mm, Sholayar 10mm, Aliyar 11mm, Sulur 35mm, Pollachi 35mm, Coimbatore South 52mm, Airport 26mm, P.N. Palayam 14.20mm and TNAU 51mm.