Heavy to very heavy rain will likely continue in parts of Tamil Nadu and adjoining Puducherry on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department said.
The weather agency also forecast extremely heavy rain in isolated areas in Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday and Thursday. It added that the rainfall could cause minor damage to kutcha roads and warned of waterlogging and landslides.
Earlier on Monday, the weather department had issued an orange alert – for heavy to very heavy rain – for Tamil Nadu’s Chennai, Villupuram Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam.
Rainfall recorded between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm is considered heavy and between 115.6 and 204.4 very heavy, reported PTI. Rainfall above 204.4 mm is considered extremely heavy rainfall.
Three people have died because of the downpour in Tamil Nadu since November 6, The Hindu reported.
The weather agency said that a cyclonic circulation persisted over south of Bay of Bengal and South Andaman sea. “Under its influence, a low pressure area is very likely to form over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours,” it said. A low pressure area brings heavy rainfall.
The weather department also said that the low pressure area will move west northwestwards, “concentrate into a depression and reach near north Tamil Nadu coast by November 11”, bringing widespread rainfall to the state.
Various areas of Chennai recorded rain between 4 cm and 14 cm of rain till 8.30 am on Monday, PTI reported. Several roads and a section of subways were closed due to waterlogging. Traffic came to a standstill in many city areas, prompting the police to create diversions.
Chennai had recorded 207 mm of rainfall till 7.30 am on Sunday – the highest amount in a 24-hour period since 2015. Several areas of the city have been flooded.
Many residents have been concerned and said the downpour was reminiscent of the rain in 2015, when Chennai experienced its worst flooding in a century.
For flood-related grievances, the Greater Chennai Corporation has released these helpline numbers: 044-25619206, 044-25619207, 044-25619208.
The Greater Chennai Corporation is using pumps at 500 locations in the the city to drain out the floodwater, according to NDTV. “Water is receding fast as we had desilted storm water drains,” the corporation’s commissioner Gagandeep Singh told the news channel.
The Greater Chennai Corporation deployed 23,000 personnel to clear water off the roads. Since Sunday afternoon, 2,02,350 people in rain-affected areas have been provided food. The Chennai administration also arranged 200 special monsoon medical camps.
The civic body tweeted a list of common kitchens in all 15 zones in Chennai.
In view of the heavy rain warning for Tamil Nadu, the National Disaster Response Force has deployed two teams in Madurai and one each in Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu.
The Madras High Court has said that it will function virtually.
Amid power cuts due to torrential rain in Chennai and its adjoining areas, Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji on Monday morning reviewed the measures taken against supply disruption, reported The Indian Express. Balaji said that 12,297 of the 44,50,000 power connections in Chennai were disconnected.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday discussed the situation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Continuous rain hits Puducherry
Incessant rainfall because of the cyclonic circulation disrupted activities on Monday in Puducherry and led to continued shut down of educational institutions till Tuesday, reported PTI.
The water levels in the Bahoor and Oussudu reservoirs, the two major waterbodies in Puducherry, had reached full capacity, the Public Works Department said.
Meanwhile, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader R Siva claimed that the rainfall had led to collapse of homes in many areas. He demanded that the administration should provide financial aid of Rs 20,000 to each of the families whose homes had collapsed.
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