Chennai rains: IMD predicts heavy rains in TN, Puducherry for next 4 days

people being rescued using boats in Velachery on Tuesday. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

The govt. has started releasing 20,000 cubic feet per second of water from Chembarambakkam reservoir, the highest volume of outflow in several years.

Heavy rains today pounded several parts of Tamil Nadu and inundating most areas of Chennai, severely disrupting flights, train and bus services and forcing postponment of half-yearly school exams even as the state braced for more showers in 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.

Half-yearly exams in schools, which were to have begun on December 7, were postponed. Schools were closed today and will remain shut tomorrow as well.

All flight operations at Chennai airport have been partially suspended until further review and a number of flights have been disrupted as waters inundated the runway and the tarmac. Airport officials said one flight, which had left Colombo this morning, returned. SpiceJet and Indigo tweeted saying the airfield had been closed due to flooding.

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.

Puducherry and its suburbs continued to be lashed by heavy rains since last night and it recorded 15.2 cm rain in the last 24 hours ending 0830 hours today.

PTI adds...

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.

National Disaster Rescue Force has already dispatched ten teams of which four are already in Chennai and the rest will be flying in tomorrow. “At the same time, we are also requisitioning teams from Bengaluru and Andhra Pradesh,” NDRF chief O P Singh said.

Rescue work will begin and NDRF would deploy more teams if required. Teams carrying boats will also be sent to Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts

Chennai deluged

Chennai City seems to be heading for a crisis of sorts as the government has started releasing 20,000 cubic feet per second of water from Chembarambakkam reservoir into Adyar. This is the highest volume of outflow from the reservoir in several years. On November 17, a day after the city received over 25 centimetres of rainfall, Public Works Department released 18,000 cusecs of water from the reservoir.

Chennai Collector E. Sundaravalli has issued a flood warning and appealed to families living along the Adyar river to move to safer places. Earlier in the day, it was increased to 5,000 cubic feet per second. The outflow was just 900 cusecs on Monday evening.

Modi assures support

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the Tamil Nadu government of all support and cooperation. He tweeted: