Rains continue to lash Tamil Nadu

The new low pressure area formation over southwest Bay of Bengal continued to pose the threat of more rains.

Rains continued to lash parts of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday with Cuddalore district bearing the brunt for yet another day even as a majority of lakes in the rain-hit districts overflowed, flooding low-lying areas from where more than one lakh people have been shifted to safer places.

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The new low pressure area formation over southwest Bay of Bengal continued to pose the threat of more rains in the state's northern coastal areas, the weather office said.

There was some relief for residents of Nagapattinam district, which had been battered by heavy rains since Sunday, as the rains finally stopped this morning.

The city and suburbs experienced a few light spells of rains till this morning while officials continued efforts to drain out water from low-lying residential areas, which had been flooded in Sunday's rain.

Due to overflowing in the Veeranam lake, water had entered agricultural fields, inundating over 30,000 hectares of land, Cuddalore District Collector Gagandeep Singh Bedi said.

More than 30,000 people had been evacuated and accommodated in 50 relief centres where they were being given food, said Bedi, who was on a visit to the affected areas.

Nagapattinam Collector J Radhakrishnan, when contacted, said there had been overnight rain, particularly in Mayiladuthurai.

Nearly 60,000 hectares of agricultural land was under water while more than 87,000 people had been evacuated and housed in 55 relief centres, he said.

Minor breaches also occurred in some of the lakes and ponds in the district and efforts were on to plug them.