A red alert has been issued for Chennai and its suburbs after thunderstorms and heavy rainfall caused flooding and inundation in many parts of the city, with more rains expected over the next few hours on Sunday, November 7. The red alert has been sounded as water from three reservoirs in the city is expected to be released on Sunday, and people living in areas around the reservoirs have been asked to evacuate their homes. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has been visiting rain-affected areas in the city, and has asked MLAs to visit their constituencies to oversee the situation as well.
Water will be released from three reservoirs as they are nearing full capacity. 500 cusecs of water was released from Puzhal reservoir and 3,000 cusecs of water was released from Poondi reservoir on Sunday morning. According to an official release, 500 cusecs of water will also be released from Chembarambakkam lake at 1.30 pm on Sunday, and a flood warning has been issued for people residing in low-lying areas near the Adyar river. People living in low-lying areas in Kundrathur and Thiruneermalai areas are expected to be evacuated.
In the rains that lashed the city overnight on November 6 and 7, Nungambakkam received 215.3 mm rainfall and Meenambakkam received 113.6 mm rainfall, IMD data as of 8.30 am on Sunday showed. According to reports, water has stagnated in at least 41 locations in Chennai, including areas like Velachery, Madhavaram, Nungambakkam and Royapuram.
— The News Minute (@thenewsminute) November 7, 2021
Many Chennai residents took to Twitter and Facebook to flag that water had entered their homes after the incessant rainfall through the night. Residents were seen wading through water inside their homes, which was almost up to ankle height. Pictures shared on social media showed vehicles traversing through flooded and inundated roads. Vehicles were partially submerged due to waterlogging in many areas of the city.
— The News Minute (@thenewsminute) November 7, 2021
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have also been deployed in three Tamil Nadu districts — Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Madurai — after heavy rainfall warnings from IMD. More rains have been predicted for Chennai through the day on Sunday till Monday morning. This is the heaviest rainfall Chennai has seen since the 2015 deluge, experts have said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in the city has also predicted thunderstorms with moderate rain at many places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area. Thunderstorms with heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Ranipettai, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Nilgiris, Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai and Tiruchirappalli districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the IMD said.
#ChennaiRains #HelplineNumbers #Chennai pic.twitter.com/gCVk69I1FL
— The News Minute (@thenewsminute) November 7, 2021