Chennai: The India Meteorological Department Thursday issued an orange alert for Tamil Nadu and warned that “moderate thunderstorms and lightning with moderate rain are very likely at a few places over Thiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet, Vellore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram districts of the state, Puducherry and Karaikal regions as well.”
According to weather forecasts, coastal areas in the state will have to brace for more rain, with a well-marked low pressure condition which is brewing over the southeast Bay of Bengal, expected to become a depression and likely to strengthen into a cyclonic storm around December 2-3.
An ‘orange’ alert is issued when there is a forecast of ‘very heavy rainfall’ of between six and 20 cm.
Tamil Nadu has been grappling with incessant torrential rain for the past four-five days and the situation intensified Wednesday. While Friday morning saw reduced rainfall in Chennai, the cyclonic condition is still in formation, according to meteorological department sources.
Several pockets in state capital Chennai have been inundated during the past days of rains, with flights being cancelled and people being rescued in boats, bringing back memories of the floods which had hit the state in 2015.
Three deaths from electrocution caused by the rains were reported in the city over Wednesday and Thursday.
Residents from the low-lying regions of Sengundram, Red Hills, a neighbourhood in Chennai’s northwestern region, were reportedly evacuated in fibre boats by firefighters and State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) personnel after rainwater entered several homes.
Senior Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) officials told ThePrint that corporation officials have been working round-the-clock to address waterlogging issues.
“We’ve had unprecedented rain in a short period of time. The CM has been monitoring the situation. We’ve put 15 IAS officers in some parts of the city. Water is receding rapidly. 16,000 workers, 491 motors and additional 150 tractor-borne motors also have been deployed [to ensure drainage of rainwater],” J Radhakrishnan, GCC commissioner, told the media in Chennai Thursday.
Radhakrishnan added that the state machinery is prepared with all equipment to jump into action if a flood-like situation arises.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inspected the preparation to combat the rainfall situation at the GCC office, Rippon Building, Thursday, and also did a round of the command centre that has been set up to monitor the situation across the city and neighbouring suburbs.
Senior ministers, including Health Minister Ma. Subramaniam and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekhar Babu, along with Chennai Mayor Priya Rajan, have also been inspecting the ground situation.
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Flights cancelled, exams postponed, schools closed
Chennai received an average rainfall of 7.5 cm between 8.30 am and 7 pm on Wednesday.
According to sources, by around noon Thursday, four flights had been cancelled and 15 flights delayed at the Chennai airport, owing to heavy rainfall in Meenambakkam, where the airport is located. The CM’s constituency, Kolathur (in Chennai), received the highest rainfall of 16 cm (between 8.30 a.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday).
Schools in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Ranipet and Chengalpatu remained closed Thursday, while the University of Madras cancelled semester exams which were to have been held that day. New dates for the exams are yet to be announced.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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