Heavy rain inundates streets, homes in Coimbatore city

Heavy rain that continued from Sunday (October 26, 2026) afternoon into the night inundated streets and residential areas near Selvachinthamani lake along Sundakkamuthur Road in Coimbatore city, with knee-deep water reported on some stretches and rainwater entering houses in Selvapuram.

Backward Classes Welfare Minister V. Sampath Kumar, District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar, Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja and Mayor K. Ranganayaki inspected the affected areas on Monday morning. The Minister walked through the knee-deep water along with officials and members of the public, distributed food items to affected residents and directed officials to expedite the removal of stagnant water.

The inundation occurred near the outlet channel connecting Selvachinthamani lake to Ukkadam Periyakulam. The recurring problem has affected the area during spells of heavy rain for years, with proposals to improve the drainage channel yet to be implemented.

The Collector said the volume of water flowing into the connecting channel had exceeded its carrying capacity following heavy rain across the catchment areas. The problem was caused by the excess inflow and overflow, rather than a blockage in the channel, he said.

More than 100 Corporation workers and around 15 sewage suction vehicles had been deployed to remove the stagnant water. Waterlogging in two streets had largely been cleared by Monday morning, while work was continuing to remove the remaining water.

The Collector said the Corporation had been asked to prepare a plan to widen the connecting channel using a cut-and-cover system to increase its carrying capacity and provide a permanent solution to the recurring inundation.

Rainfall received

According to the Disaster Management rainfall report, Coimbatore district recorded a cumulative 1,232 mm of rainfall across 23 monitoring stations during the 24 hours ending at 7.30 a.m. on Monday, with an average of 53.57 mm.

Madukkarai recorded the highest rainfall at 130 mm, followed by Vaarappatti at 128 mm and Podanur at 118 mm. Coimbatore South received 105 mm, while the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University station recorded 89 mm.

The Collector said the city had received more than 80 mm of rain within three hours, between 2.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. on Sunday (October 25), resulting in a sudden increase in runoff. Waterlogging in other parts of the city, including underpasses and subways, had been cleared by Monday morning, he said.