Tamil Nadu: Heavy rains bring South TN to standstill; life, rail and road transport hit

Tirunelveli: Normal life came to a standstill in the southern districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, and Ramanathapuram as record-breaking rains continued to batter the region for the second consecutive day on Monday.

Heavy downpours and water logging threw rail, air, and road traffic out of gear, with several trains and omnibus services suspended from other parts of the state.

Flight services from Thoothukudi airport have been cancelled, while the Southern Railway has issued a notification announcing that several train services, including the fancied Vande Bharat Express running between Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore, have been cancelled in both directions, besides the express train between Tirunelveli-Jamnagar, Gujarat, and Tiruchendur-Palakkad.

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The severe rainfall swept away the soil beneath the #IndianRailways track on the #Tiruchendur to Tirunelveli route.#TNRains #Rain #Tirunelveli #Tenkasi #Kanyakumari #Tuticorin #Manimutharu #Manjolai #HeavyRain #NellaiRains #TamilNaduRains #DMK #Kutralam #Courtallam… pic.twitter.com/XNBAdeXyht

— South One (@SouthOneNews) December 18, 2023 >

The Omnibus Federation has declared the suspension of more than 200 omnibus services to the southern districts due to continuous heavy rains.

Official sources said the government buses will operate based on demand, providing alternative transportation options for commuters in the affected areas.

People were forced to stay indoors due to the inundation in hundreds of residential areas.

The Tamil Nadu government declared a public holiday on Monday for all schools, colleges, private institutions, banks, and financial institutions in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, and Virudhunagar districts, while schools were closed in Theni, Ramanathapuram, and Sivaganga districts.

Several rivers and streams, including the Thamirabarani and Vaigai, are in spate due to heavy discharge from reservoirs. (UNI)