Incessant heavy rain lashes Puducherry and suburbs for second day today, normal life disrupted

Several low lying areas were inundated and vehicular traffic was badly affected as the roads were flooded with rain water.

Crops in rural areas were submerged with rain water. Water entered into the huts causing miseries to the inmates and some huts collapsed.

The official machinery was geared up to pump out water from low lying areas and to undertake rehabilitation works.

The Puducherry administration declared a holiday for schools and colleges for today and tomorrow and postponed the reopening of schools, to hold classes from 1st standard to 8th standard, scheduled for today.

Puducherry received 82.01 millimeters of rainfall in the last 12 hours ending at 0800 hours, this morning.

Meanwhile, DMK Puducherry Unit Convener and leader of the Opposition R Siva urged the administration to take up relief works on a war footing to those affected in the rain.

In a statement here, Mr Siva said that water entered into several huts in the lowlying areas and several huts collapsed.

Crops under 1000 acres of land were submerged. The shutters of Veedur dam were opened and the Sankarabharani and Malattar rivers were in spate.

Siva alleged that even in this situation, the administration failed to initiate any steps to redress the grievances of farmers and other people affected.

He said the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) did not announce any solatium to those who lost their houses.

The leader of the opposition demanded that a sum of Rs 3,000 be provided to the ration card holders whose families were affected due to the rain, shifting the affected people to safer places and providing food and bed sheets to them.

Meanwhile, police cautioned people living in 50 villages along the banks of Sankarabharani river to remain safe as the river is in spate.

It may be noted that since the water in Veedur dam reached 31 ft as against its full capacity of 32 ft, the shutters of the dam was opened today resulting in the Sankarabharani river in spate.

Since, people in the villages along the banks of the river used to come to the river to take bath and to bathe their cattles, police using loudspeakers cautioned them not to come near to the river.