The key causeway across Palar river connecting Madhanur with Gudiyatham near Ambur collapsed in the early hours of Thursday due to rain since last week.
Officials said that this was the second time the causeway collapsed after floods washed away the facility during last monsoon (2021).
Around 12.30 a.m on Thursday, the Collector received an alert on the collapse of a portion of the causeway. Immediately, a team of revenue officials and police rushed to the spot and erected barricades on both sides of the causeway, which is 90 metres long and six metres wide.
“I have spoken to the Vellore Collector as a major portion of the causeway falls in their limit. However, transport arrangements have been made for students, who come from Gudiyatham to Madhanur, to write their board examinations,” Amar Kushwaha, Collector (Tirupattur), told The Hindu.
At present, the causeway has been damaged in the middle of the river, mainly due to lack of adequate concrete pipes below the temporary facility to discharge excess rainwater from one side of the river to another side. This resulted in the its collapse. Only around 10% of the causeway falls within Tirupattur district limit.
The Madhanur causeway, which is maintained by the State Highways Department (Vellore division), in Tirupattur connects Ambur with around 25 villages in Gudiyatham. “Restoration work has started. The damaged causeway will be repaired the next few days,” said an official with the State Highways Department.
People in Gudiyatham region have to make a detour of at least 10 km via Pachai Kuppam village to reach the national highway.
Officials said that continuous rain in catchment areas along the river including Tirupattur town, Natrampalli, Kandeli and Vanniyambadi and inAndhra Pradesh resulted in the rise in water level. Many low-lying areas along the river like Madhanur, Ambur, Vanniyambadi, Kandeli, Gudiyatham, Pallikonda, Katpadi, Walajah, Arcot and Nemili were affected.
