The Indian Meterological Department has said that rainfall in Tamil Nadu is likely to decrease in the coming days. Chances of it intensifying into a depression are also slim, it has said.
The number of deaths in the rain-related incidents in the last one week has gone up to 60.
Holiday for schools
As a precautionary measure, the administration in many districts, including Chennai, has declared Monday a holiday for schools and colleges. Anna University, University of Madras, Law University and MGR Medical University have rescheduled the exams. Many establishments in Chennai have also declared holiday.
Situation as on Sunday
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, a well-marked low-pressure area over south west Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka from Saturday persists in the same region and is likely to bring rain to many places in the State.
It is likely to intensify into a depression by Monday.
Several places in north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rain in the next 24 hours.
Very heavy rain (up to 25 cm) has been forecast for Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Karaikal and Nagapattinam districts.
>@TheHindu at nanganallur >pic.twitter.com/uV7bEottrT
— Debasree Purkayastha (@DebasreePurkaya) >November 16, 2015Strong winds
Owing to strong winds from northeasterly direction, the wind speed could reach 55 km/hr along the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.
With heavy to very heavy rain forecast for many parts of the State in the next 24 hours, the State administration has asked district collectors to be on alert.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday announced Rs. 4 lakh each as solatium for families of four persons who lost their lives in Kancheepuram and Vellore districts on Friday and Saturday.
Six senior Ministers, including Minister for Finance and Public Works O.Panneerselvam, are camping in Cuddalore and supervising the relief works.
The situation at MMDA Colony, Arumbakkam, Chennai. On Sunday, Mr. Paneerselvam oversaw the stacking of sand bags to close the breach in the Sengaal odai in Cuddalore district. He distributed relief package, including Rs. 5000, rice, dhoti, sari and kerosene, to each of the 128 families, whose homes were fully damaged.
Electricity Minister Natham R. Vishwanathan and Fisheries Minister K.A. Jayapal inspected electricity substations and instructed staff to ensure power supply to villages and also remain on alert.
Revenue Minister R. B. Udhayakumar visited several villages in Panruti Panchayat union and Neyveli municipality and distributed relief to affected families.
In Cuddalore district, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who is coordinating relief work, said surplus water from Veeranam Lake, Walaja Lake and Perumal Lake has been released to ensure there is no recurrence of flooding.
Generators have been kept ready to supply drinking water and pump out water from heavily inundated areas. Mr. Bedi said the Neyveli Lignite Corporation has been asked to stop the discharge of water from mines.
Chennai braces itself
Heavy rains lashed Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts on Sunday. Till 6 p.m. the rain gauge at Hindustan University recorded 20.1 cm of rain, Ennore 13.3 cm and Madhavaram 12.7 cm of rain. The city reeled under the continuous showers and vehicular subways remained closed for traffic.
Life affected in delta
The depression affected normal life in several parts of the Central districts in general and in the delta districts in particular.
Nagapapttinam district recorded heavy downpour in the last 24 hours, with Anaikaranchathiram recording a maximum of 175.50 mm of rain, Sirkali 172 mm and Mayiladuthurai 106.10 mm of rain.
Monitoring officer Shiv Das Meena inspected various rain-hit areas in the district.
Near Vedaranyam, 120 families were moved from their marooned dwellings at Vandal and Kundooranveli villages.
By and large, preventive measures are being taken up and the official machinery has been geared up for meeting any emergency. In Thanjavur District, N. Subbaiyan, District Collector, inspected the sand bags readied by the Public Works Department to plug any breaches.
In Kumbakonam taluk, more than 100 huts suffered partial and total damage in Tirupanandal.
A farmer Nedumaran of Tiruvarur district and fish vendor B. Nagendran of Tiruchi were electrocuted.
Rain in Yercaud
Various parts of Salem district and Yercaud experienced continuous rainfall since the break of dawn on Sunday. Following this, the officials of the highways, rural development and revenue departments are monitoring the ghat section to prevent landslips. Sand bags have been placed at points prone for land slides. The Nilgiris, however, did not receive heavy shower in the last few days. According to rainfall recorded for 24 hours till 8 a.m. on Sunday, Coonoor recorded the highest rainfall of 3.4 mm. Rainfall during the said period in other places in The Nilgiris were: Kodanad – 2.1 mm, Kotagiri and Ketti – 2 mm and Kundha and Gethai – 1 mm. In Coimbatore District, maximum rainfall was registered at Peelamedu (3.1 mm).
93 houses damaged
As many as 93 houses were fully damaged and 519 houses partially damaged in rain-related incidents in Kanyakumari district since the onset of the North-East monsoon, district administration sources here said.
A total of 191 km of roads were damaged in the incessant rain. Deep potholes developed in many spots on the Trivandrum national highway.
A 90-year old Theresammal of Vencode village near Kuzhithurai was killed in a wall collapse near dam on Sunday morning.
Only drizzle in Madurai
The southern districts remained largely unaffected as rain has receded since Friday night. The deep depression threatening several northern districts spared the southern districts with mere drizzle, which stopped by the afternoon. Madurai and Virudhunagar districts have not received any major rain in the last few days.
Coastal districts
The situation was the same even in the coastal districts of Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli.
However, the administration in all the districts were geared up to face any sudden downpour in the next two days.
