Heavy rain on Tuesday pounded several parts of Tamil Nadu and inundated most areas of Chennai, severely disrupting flights, train and bus services and forcing postponement of half-yearly school exams even as the State braced for more showers in the next four days.
As the death toll in rain-related incidents touched 188, Chief Minister Jayalalithaaa reviewed the situation and deputed Ministers to inspect the affected regions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured all possible support and cooperation to the State as he spoke to the Tamil Nadu CM. Personnel of Army and Navy have been deployed for evacuation if needed.
“Spoke to Jayalalithaaji on the flood situation in parts of Tamil Nadu. Assured all possible support & cooperation in this unfortunate hour,” Modi tweeted.
Half-yearly exams in schools, which were to begin on December 7, were postponed. Schools were closed on Tuesday and will remain shut on Wednesday as well.
Two columns of Army’s Garrison Infantry Battalion have been pressed into service in Tambaram and Oorapakkam after the Tamil Nadu Government sought military assistance. The Navy is also on stand-by.
All flight operations at Chennai airport were partially suspended on Tuesday night until further review and a number of flights disrupted as waters inundated the runway and the tarmac. Departure of flights was allowed till 11.30 pm, while arrival has been suspended. Airport officials said one flight, which had left Colombo Tuesday morning, returned.
Twelve trains leaving Chennai Egmore were cancelled due to water overflowing on railway tracks between Villupuram and Tambaram sections. Also, 11 trains were diverted.
Motorists had a tough time as not only arterial roads like Anna Salai and, GST Road were inundated but also many interior roads. Also, many roads were damaged, with several of them caving in inconveniencing motorists.
The rains that have virtually broken a 100-year-old record with one day’s rainfall covering a month’s average also flooded areas in Vadapalani, Valasaravakkam and Nandamvakkam as nearby lakes overflowed into the city.
Puducherry and its suburbs continued to be lashed by heavy rains since Monday night and it recorded 15.2 cm rain in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Tuesday.
Met office has cautioned of more showers in the next four days across Tamil Nadu with some regions likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall.
Jayalalithaa said police, fire and rescue, National and State Disaster Forces and Coast Guard have been kept ready for need-based evacuation of people from flood hit regions.
She reviewed the situation arising out of heavy rains in districts including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore and Kanchipuram districts. She also ordered postponement of half-yearly examinations for school children to next month previously slated to be held from December 7.
As a result of the rains, Poondi, Cholavaram, Puzhal and Chembarambakkam reservoirs that feed Chennai have touched 83.8 per cent of its capacity and out of the 14,098 lakes under PWD in Tamil Nadau 6,791 lakes are full.
“I have ordered officials to take precautionary measures before releasing surplus waters from reservoirs and evacuate people living in low-lying areas,” she said.
She also ordered a solatium of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the four people who were killed in rain-related incidents a few days ago in various parts of the State.
Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy has sought immediate interim financial assistance of Rs 100 crore from the Centre, to take up relief works.
In a release, Rangasamy said he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, seeking immediately an interim relief of Rs 100 crore to cope with the situation arising out of the rains.