Heavy rains pound Puducherry

Puducherry, Mar 22 (UNI) Several low-lying areas were inundated and crops in several hectares of land lost as heavy rains lashed Puducherry and its suburbs for the last few days.

As rainwater intruded into several huts at different areas, the people were evacuated and accommodated in schools, community and marriage halls and were being fed.

With the farmers approaching Chief Minister N Rangasamy with rotten paddy and demanding compensation for the lost crops, Mr Rangasamy ordered officials to conduct a survey to assess crop damages and report to him forthwith so that compensation could be announced. Several old trees were also uprooted under the impact of the rain.

With the Sankarabharani river in spate, traffic between Thiruvakkarai and several other villages in rural Puducherry were affected, as the water was flowing over the causeway. Several irrigation tanks were fast filling up and PWD officals were strengthening the banks of the tanks to prevent a breach.

Even though more rains were predicted for Puducherry, there was no rainfall since this afternoon and the people heaved a sigh of relief.

(Eds; pick up suitably from earlier series).

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