Tamil Nadu’s worst fears came true on Tuesday, as rains lashed the northern coast without any let-up.
After merely a few days of respite, the State’s north coast was completely unprepared for the renewed fury of the rains. And, the region went under water.
Rain for four more daysThe bad news is, according to officials at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, “a trough of low pressure over southwest Bay of Bengal off Sri Lanka with another upper air circulation embedded” will continue to bring heavy rains for four more days in north coastal Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur. Coastal areas of the State and neighbouring union territory of Puducherry are expected to get as high as 12.5 cm of rain on Wednesday and Thursday. Kattupakkam near Chengalpattu received 22 cm of rain on Tuesday, which resulted in lakes in the region overflowing, cutting off traffic on the Grand Southern Trunk between Chengalpattu and Chennai for the first time in 40 years. Tamil Nadu has so far received an average of 53 cm, which is more than the annual average of 44 cm with another full month of the monsoon period left.
In Chennai’s suburbs, Kolapakkam and Poonamallee received 15 cm each, Puzhal 13 cm, while Avadi and Guindy received 12 cm each. Chennai city will continue to witness strong gusty surface winds.
Following the direction of R. Nambiar, senior commandant of 04 battalion, NDRF, Arakkonam, eight teams comprising 234 personnel have been sent for the flood rescue operation. In all, 24 rubber boats have been taken for the rescue operation, a press release said.
In Puducherry, the district administration has opened relief centres for people living in low-lying areas. 15,000 food packets were distributed to them through the relief centres. Two persons were killed in rain-related incidents in Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district. The rains also wreaked havoc in Villupuram district with Marakkanam recording a maximum of 204 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday. Villupuram town recorded a maximum of 50 mm followed by Tindivanam with 28 mm and Gingee with 22 mm. The average rainfall recorded in Cuddalore in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday is as follows: Parangipettai recorded a maximum of 159 mm followed by Chidambaram with 99 mm, Cuddalore 97.40 mm, Annamalai Nagar 91 mm and Vanamadevi 78 mm.
Rajinikanth donatesActor Rajinikanth has donated Rs. 10 lakh towards the Chief Minister’s Flood Relief Fund through the Nadigar Sangam.
The actor has donated the money through Sri Raghavendra Public Charitable Trust of which he is the managing trustee.
In a letter to the president of the Nadigar Sangam, the manager of the Trust has said that Rajinikanth has donated the money for flood relief.
(Reporting by K. Lakshmi, V. Venkatasubramanian, R. Sivaraman, Serena Josephine M.)
