Heavy rain lashes Cuddalore district inundating large tracts of paddy crop

Heavy rains lashed various parts of Cuddalore district on Tuesday under the influence of a well-marked low pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal disrupting the normal life of residents.

Official sources said the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai has sounded Red alert for Cuddalore district, till 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to the RMC, the well-marked low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal on Tuesday is likely to move west-northwestwards and consolidate into a depression over southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal off north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh by Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy rain on Monday night and Tuesday inundated large tracts of paddy crop in several villages in the tail-end Delta region of Cuddalore district.

Annamalai Nagar received a maximum of 99 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period, that ended at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, while Chidambaram recorded 97.3 mm. The rainfall recorded in other areas in Cuddalore district are: Parangipettai 66.6 mm, Bhuvanagiri 51 mm, Cuddalore 39.4 mm and Srimushnam 39.2 mm.

The rains had caused inundation of vast tracts of paddy fields in over 20 villages in Keerapalayam block. Authorities are working to drain stagnant water to prevent further damage to crops.

The copious rains have also filled the Sivaganga tank of the Sri Natarajar temple in Chidambaram.

Meanwhile, the Cuddalore district administration has issued an advisory to the public in view of forecast of heavy rainfall in Cuddalore district.

In the advisory, Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar appealed to the people not to venture close to rivers and other waterbodies. People must refrain from stepping into the waterbodies and taking livestock for bathing. The administration has also instructed people residing in hutments, in dilapidated buildings and in low-lying areas to move to safer places.

Round-the-clock control rooms are under operation in all taluk offices, and any rainfall-related alerts may be passed on to the district administration’s control room on 1077 and 04142 - 220700.