The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Overcast sky, shower and then downpour

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Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Overcast sky, shower and then downpour

City Bureau

Depression is expected to cross Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Nagapattinam on Wednesday night

— Photos: M.Vedhan

Rainy Tuesday: The uprooted tree that fell on a house on Fourth Street, Radhakrishnan Salai, after the downpour on Tuesday. (Right) Pedestrians huddle together under their umbrellas.

CHENNAI: An overcast sky all day long ended with heavy rains in the evening, inundating arterial roads and throwing traffic out of gear in several parts of the city on Tuesday.

Meteorological Department officials said depression had formed over Sri Lanka and lay centred about 200 km southeast of Pamban and 300 km south-south-east of Nagapattinam on Tuesday. The city may experience heavy rainfall on Wednesday too as the depression is expected to cross the Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Nagapattinam on Wednesday night.

While Nungambakkam recorded 42.6 mm of rainfall, Meenambakkam received 46.8 mm during the 12-hour period ending 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Chennai Corporation has alerted the zonal officials to have motor-pumps ready to pump out stagnant water from the low-level areas. Residents can call the civic body’s emergency phone number 1913 or the nearest zonal office for immediate assistance.

What began as intermittent showers around 5 p.m. turned into a downpour that lasted several hours and inundated interior roads in several busy areas such as T.Nagar, Kilpauk, Royapettah, Mandaveli, Chromepet and Ambattur.

Traffic piled up on several arterial roads, including Arcot Road, Poonamallee High Road and Erukancheri High Road. In southern suburbs, roads continued to be major casualties of the downpour. Bitumen topping on several roads were ripped off. Traffic movement on Medavakkam Main Road and Velachery Main Road was severely affected.

Interior streets in several residential localities in the Madipakkam-Ullagaram-Keelkattalai belt were damaged. Residents of Hasthinapuram and Sembakkam complained of rainwater stagnation in their areas. Officials of local bodies in the city’s southern suburbs said they were prepared to face problems of water logging.

Power disruptions

There were power disruptions across the city. Tamil Nadu Electricity Board officials in southern suburbs said that they had to disconnect power supply in many areas as rain was accompanied by strong winds. In south Chennai, power supply was suspended for several hours in Ram Nagar, Muruga Nagar and Velachery.

In a release, the Electrical Inspectorate Department has advised people against climbing trees adjacent to electric poles and lines and illegally tapping electricity from junction boxes. Any leakage from underground cables or snapped overhead conductors may be reported to the nearest TNEB office.

Tree uprooted

An uprooted tree damaged a portion of a house on Fourth Street, Radhakrishnan Salai, in Mylapore. House owner K.N. Narayana Pillai, aged 83, said that he had repeatedly requested the Chennai Corporation to remove the tree as it was threatening to damage the house.

Issac Paul Raj, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mylapore, said, “We have informed the Corporation officials. They will remove the tree at the earliest.” But Mr. Pillai is not sure if he will get any compensation for the damaged wall of the house.

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