Chennai on Saturday was limping back to normalcy with many roads becoming fairly commutable, but several other areas still remaining waterlogged, reported PTI. There was also a partial restoration of telecommunication and train services. Rain-related incidents have left at least 245 people dead since October 1, according to Tamil Nadu government.
The National Disaster Response Force said it has launched its "most massive" deployment so far, with 50 rescue and relief teams, including close to 1,600 personnel and over 200 boats, being pressed into service. The NDRF rescued over 16,000 people marooned in Chennai and its adjoining areas, it said.
According to PTI, waterlogging continued in many parts of the city such as Kotturpuram, suburban Mudichur and Pallikkaranai. Helpless citizens were seen stranded on higher floors of buildings pleading for essential supplies such as water and milk. There were serpentine queues outside the few ATMs and petrol stations that were operational. The state government has said that the fuel situation will ease in the next couple of days. Banks in the state will also remain open on Sunday.
The Southern Railway restarted services on the busy Egmore-Tamabaram stretch, in a bid to link the southern parts of Chennai with the main city. However, the Chennai Airport may take two more days to resume commercial flight operations due to waterlogging, said Minister of State for aviation Mahesh Sharma.
The MeT Department said that it will remain cloudy in Chennai with a few spells of rain. One or two places in the coastal districts may receive heavy rainfall.
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