Heavy rains lashed Chennai and neighbouring districts on Sunday, leaving several places inundated and badly affecting the road and rail traffic. Chennai received the highest rainfall since 2015 and the Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain for the next two days, too, due to the influence of a cyclonic circulation in Bay of Bengal.
Schools and colleges in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram districts have been ordered to stay shut for the next two days and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been called in to assist in rescue work.
According to an official release, as many as 36 districts received heavy rainfall, of which the state capital recorded the highest amount of 134.29 mm, while Ariyalur saw the least with 0.20 mm in the last 24 hours.
Officials said surplus water from the Chembarambakkam dam on the outskirt of Chennai is being released and people living in low laying areas have been asked to move to safe place. In 2015, a sudden excessive discharge from this reservoir had caused a major flood in the city.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin visited a few rain-affected areas in the city and discussed with district collectors the preparedness to tackle the flood. He asked the officials of local administration, revenue and public welfare departments to take steps to ensure that there was no water logging and evacuate people living in low lying areas.
The chief minister also appealed to people, who had travelled to their native place from Chennai to celebrate Deepavali, to postpone their travel to the state capital by three days in view of the incessant rains.
Railway sources said the Basin Bridge yard was flooded which led to disruption in routing trains, in and out of the Chennai Central Railway Station and a long distance train from Tiruvananthapuram had to be halted at Tirunindravur in the northern suburb. Suburban train services in the Tambaram-Beach line was affected for sometime as railway tracks were covered by sheets of water.
There were traffic diversions due to water logging and uprooted trees in several locations of the city including the arterial EVR Salai. Subways witnessed inundation upto a height of several feet. Police said the traffic movement is slow in view of water logging and advised the people to be cautious.
Several people said they found it difficult to get cabs or autorickshaws while some said drivers working for cab aggregators declined acceptance for travel. Motorcycles, scooters and autorickshaws could be spotted stranded in many locations. Civic and Public Works Department personnel worked to pump water out in inundated areas and also placed sandbags in locations including the Anna Nagar Peripheral Hospital campus.
There was, however, no major disruption in flight services, except some delay in respect of a couple of flights. Metrorail services were also not affected.
With PTI inputs
