Life was thrown out of gear in Chennai and its neighbouring districts due to heavy rainfall caused by the severe cyclone Michaung, inundating the city, causing disruptions in flights and trains. Residents were startled when a video surfaced of a crocodile crossing a submerged road.
The relentless downpour, reminiscent of the 2015 deluge, paralysed daily life, prompting authorities to declare a public holiday and dispatch rescue teams to aid a city besieged by torrential rains.
As many as five people have died due to rain related incidents, including falling of trees and electrocution here. Local trains have been cancelled and operations at Chennai airport have been suspended till Tuesday morning.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has temporarily denied permission for devotees to take holy bath at Sri Kapilathirtham waterfalls. In view of the cyclone, the Tamil Nadu Government has declared a public holiday on Tuesday for all educational institutions, Government and private offices, financial institutions and banks in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts. Commuters found themselves stranded as suburban train and bus services remained affected. Heavily inundated roads posed a challenge to road users who were few and far. Power and internet disruptions compounded the city's challenges.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday spoke to the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry on the situation arising due to Cyclone Michaung and assured them of all necessary Central help. Shah also said adequate deployment of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel has already been made and additional teams are ready for further assistance.
In a post on X, Shah said he had spoken to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his counterparts in Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and N Rangaswamy, respectively. "...Took stock of the measures taken to tackle the challenging weather conditions caused by the Cyclone Michaung. Assured them of all the necessary assistance from the Modi Government to secure lives," Shah said in the post. "Adequate deployment of the NDRF has already been made and additional teams are ready for further assistance," he further said.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclone Michaung over west-central and coastal south Andhra Pradesh has intensified into a ‘severe’ cyclonic storm and is expected to make landfall near the State’s Bapatla district on Tuesday morning accompanied by winds reaching up to 100 km per hour. The weather system is expected to persist until December 7 and thereafter become a deep depression. The storm has led to heavy rainfall in several parts of Andhra Pradesh, in most parts of Tamil Nadu, and southern Odisha.
