Heavy rains have hit normal life in southern districts of Tamil Nadu including Kanniya Kumari Tiruenelveli and Thoothukudi as excess water is being released from Papanasam Sevalaru dams. Relief measures are in full swing in Chennai Cuddalore and Kanchipuram. Flood alerts are issued in Tirunelveli, Tirupur, Karur Theni and Dindugul. Mullaperiyar Dam level is maintained at the permissible level of 142 feet. Theni district collector Venkatachalam and Idukki collector Ratheesan alongwith PWD officials inspected the Mullaperiyar dam today. At present inflow into the dam is 2500 cusecs of water and 9000 cusecs is released to Vaigai Dam and 600 cusecs to Kerala region.<br/><br/>The Tirunelveli Melapalayam road is still submerged in water affecting traffic in the area. Thamaraparani river is flooded and water has entered residential areas in Kurukuthurai, Nellai santhippu, Vanarapettai, Natham. People are being moved to safer places and kept in relief camps. In Thoothukudi 53 relief camps are kept ready for rain affected people. People living near Thamaraparani river are warned to ove to safer places as more than 30,000 cusecs of water is being released into the river. <br/><br/>In Nagapattinam water has seeped into many residential areas. Fishermen are badly affected as they are not venturing out into the sea. In Madurai city water seeped into 200 homes as 4060 cusecs water is released from Vaigai Dam into Vaigai river. More than 10,000 lorries bound for Chennai Puduchery Cuddalore are stopped at various places stuck by heavy rain. This has affected the livelihood of more than 50,000 workers according to All India Motor Transport Congress. <br/><br/>The Met office has forecast heavy rain for the next twenty four hours in coastal Tamil Nadu and some places in interior districts as trough of low pressure persists in south west Bay of Bengal. Isolated rain will also occur in many places of the state. However, the forecast by the Meteorology Department in Chennai said that the worst hit Chennai and its adjacent districts of Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur are bound to get only sporadic mild showers. Meanwhile, schools and colleges will remain closed for tomorrow as well in the three northern districts as clean-up operation in inundated premises of the educational institutions and streets are going on a war footing.