Following a severe weather warning from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, has lashed several districts in Tamil Nadu, causing significant waterlogging in parts of Thoothukudi.
In response to the deluge, the District Administration has declared a holiday for all schools in Thoothukudi on Thursday.
The IMD had specifically warned of imminent rainfall across the region. In a tweet on X on Wednesday, the department stated, “Light to Moderate Rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Chengalpattu, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Kanyakumari, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thenkasi, Tiruvallur, Tiruvarur, Tirunelveli, Karaikal in next 3 hours.”
Vellore Lakes Overflow Due to Lack of Desilting
The heavy rainfall has already exposed serious drainage issues in other parts of the state. Earlier, Vellore’s Latteri and its surrounding areas experienced particularly intense rain, causing the Pallathur Lake near Latteri to reach its full capacity and overflow.
The excess water flowed into the Kanaaru stream, which passes through more than 20 villages before joining the Latteri Lake. However, a major oversight—the drainage canals connecting Pallathur and Latteri had not been desilted in advance. The resulting sudden influx of floodwater caused breaches along the Kanaaru stream’s embankments, leading to water spilling into nearby farmlands and entering Koraipattarai village, severely affecting several residents.
With more rainfall forecasted over the next few days, villagers have urgently called upon authorities to inspect and clear the blockages in the Kanaaru stream to prevent further flooding in residential areas. The IMD has specifically forecasted “Thunderstorm accompanied by Lightning” in Vellore from today until October 16, 2025.
Protests Erupt in Kalaburagi for Flood Relief
Meanwhile, the impact of excess rainfall has led to protests in other regions as well. Various social organizations, including the Kalyana Karnataka Horata Samiti, called for a Kalaburagi Bandh on Monday, demanding a special package and other concessions for the district in the wake of floods.
Farmer leader Dayanand Patil highlighted the three main demands of the protesters:
- Waiving off loans.
- Granting funds under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
- Providing a compensation of ₹25,000 per acre to the affected farmers.