Puducherry, Nov 3 (PTI) Puducherry was battered by heavy rain on Thursday inundating several areas and almost all thoroughfares, affecting the flow of vehicular traffic.Chief Minister N Rangasamy held an emergency meeting with officials concerned with relief and rehabilitation works.Later, he told reporters that "all necessary steps have been taken to ensure that people faced no hardship in the context of the current rains." Puducherry and its suburban areas registered 5 cm rainfall till 4.30 p.m. today.A control room was opened at the collectorate and close vigil was being maintained in all vulnerable areas, he said.Chief Secretary Rahul Verma, District Collector E Vallavan and officials of Revenue and Disaster Management Department were among those who participated in the meeting.Meanwhile, the Directorate of School Education declared a holiday tomorrow (Friday) for all government and privately managed schools in Puducherry and Karaikal regions.A release from Joint Director to Education V G Sivakamni said that the schools would remain closed on Friday as per directives of Education Minister A Namassivayam.Flying squads were also pressed into service to respond to any distress call, an official source said. PTI COR ROH ROH