Cyclone Tauktae: High alert sounded on Thamiraparanibanks, two people die in Kanyakumari

KANYAKUMARI/COIMBATORE: Two people died in separate incidents of wall collapse as Cyclone Tauktae brought heavy rain to Kanyakumari and western districts of the state as well.
Weather experts have forecast heavier rainfall in Coimbatore on Sunday.
Two-year-old Regina of Ramanthurai near Killiyoor died when the wall of their house collapsed and fell on her around 2 am on Saturday. In a similar incident, 36-year-old Eugine of Kokkudivilai near Karode died when the soaked mud wall of his house fell on him on Friday evening.
High alert was sounded on the banks of the Thamiraparani river flowing through Kanyakumari district as the outflow from Pechiparai dam was increased to 3,000 cusecs late on Saturday evening.
Water level in the 48-foot-tall Pechiparai dam climbed to 43.5 feet at 8 pm on Saturday as the Thamiraparani was flooded submerging the check dam-cum-foot overbridge at Kuzhithurai. "Flood alert was sounded at low lying areas downstream at Thiruvattar and other places and rescue teams have been stationed for relief measures," Kanyakumari District Fire Officer (DFO) B Saravanakumar said.
Apart from 110 rescue personnel from the department, 20 expert rescue commandos from Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts were also deputed at vulnerable areas.
Many parts of Coimbatore district received heavy rain from Saturday morning with the rain gauges at the city airport and TNAU recording 8.2mm and 9mm rainfall while those in the catchment areas of Valparai, Chinna Kalar and Sholayar Dam registered 63mm, 65mm and 99mm rainfall respectively.
The rain, which lashed till 3pm brought the district's maximum temperatures down to 25 degree Celsius. Cloudy skies too offered the residents respite from the sweltering heat.
In the 24 hours ended 8 am on Saturday, Kanyakumari district recorded an average rainfall of 61.27 mm. There was no noticeable rainfall recorded in the other southern districts in the state.
Fishermen of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari stayed away from fishing while the sky was overcast in Madurai, Dindigul and Theni. Farmers welcomed the showers which they said would encourage summer cultivation.
P Kandasamy, state secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam, said, "The rain will encourage earlier cultivation of kharif crops like groundnut at Kinathukadavu and pulses in other parts of the district. However, this unexpected rain could also be detrimental to the late harvesters of turmeric."