Rains lash Tamil Nadu, Chennai witnesses record showers

Chennai: It was record rains for Chennai and its suburbs on Tuesday that began overnight, leading to inundation in a string of localities in the city and on the outskirts, while two persons were killed in rain-related incidents.

For the first time in three decades, Nungambakkam, a core city area recorded 8 CM in a single day and suburban Red Hills 13 CM followed by 12 CM in Perambur, also in the city.

There was widespread rainfall in Tamil Nadu and showers ranged between 1 CM to 9 CM, which includes Cauvery delta areas and coastal regions like Kanyakumari. The Northeast monsoon rains commenced in Tamil Nadu on 29 October.

In view of the rains, two subways were closed here and the city witnessed traffic congestion and slow movement of vehicles.

Chief Minister M K Stalin chaired a virtual meeting of top officials on monsoon preparedness and instructed officials to work in cohesion and directed them to take swift action on complaints.

As regards Chennai city, 8 CM of heavy rainfall was recorded on November 1 at Nungambakkam and it is the first highest in the past 30 years and third such record in the last 72 years, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, S Balachandran told reporters. In 1990, the city witnessed 13 CM rainfall and it was 11 CM in 1964, both on November 1.

Several stretches near the arterial Anna Salai here, the congested parts of busy north Chennai, sleepy neighbourhoods tucked away in the southern and northern regions of the city and suburbs witnessed inundation. Similar was the scenario in several other parts of the State.

While a man was electrocuted here last night, a woman died after portions of a residential building collapsed in the city's northern area of Pulianthope. A cow died of electrocution in the suburb. Water entered houses in low-lying areas in some parts of north Chennai.

In at least 8 districts including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengelpet, a holiday was declared for schools.

A weather bulletin said a cyclonic circulation lay over north Sri Lanka and its neighbourhood at lower levels and a "trough runs from this system to southeast Arabian sea." Northeasterly winds continue to persist along and off North Tamil Nadu and adjoining coastal areas.

Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru said that 75 per cent of stormwater drain work has been completed in Chennai Corporation areas. Several areas that used to witness inundation in the past like the midtown GN Chetty Road have not seen waterlogging in view of drain improvement work, Nehru said.

Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P K Sekar Babu also listed localities that had witnessed flooding during monsoon in previous years (during the AIADMK regime). He underlined that in view of the implementation of upgradation and improvement of stormwater drain work there was no water stagnation in flooding-prone localities.

Greater Chennai Corporation authorities inspected several areas and said that there was no rainwater stagnation in localities like KK Nagar in view of preparatory measures and stormwater drain work. Flood monitoring cameras have been installed by authorities in localities vulnerable to flooding.

In view of the ongoing stormwater drain improvement work and Chennai Metrorail phase-2 project, barricades have been put up in many stretches of roads. While such infra-initiatives have already made traffic congestion the order of the day, the rains and waterlogging are the fresh woes people face during the monsoon.

Balachandran said that from October 1 to November 1, Chennai District received 20 CM rainfall while the average for this period was 28 CM and it is 29 per cent less than normal. However, when the period between 1 to 31 October is considered, the city received 14 CM showers while the normal was 27 CM which was 48 per cent less than normal. The current spell of rain, in a single day, has narrowed that gap by 18 per cent.

For the next 3 days, most areas in Tamil Nadu Puducherry-Karaikal are expected to receive moderate rainfall, he said. During the next 24 hours, some places in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengelpet, and other northern districts including Vellore could witness heavy to very heavy downpours.

A couple of areas in districts falling under the Cauvery delta zone, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga may also witness heavy rainfall. Fishermen are advised to not venture into sea.