Chennai is having no respite from rains as heavy downpour for many hours on Thursday night inundated many parts of the city.
IMD officials say Nungambakkam area received 180 mm rain from 8.30 on Thursday morning to 5:30 on Friday morning. While the area had received only 56 mm rains till 8.30 pm, the next two hours witnessed heavy downpour.
The Meenambakkam area meanwhile recieved 140 mm rainfall.
Traffic snarls and diversions are being reported from across the city.
#ChennaiRains #TidelPark Employees are unable to return home as there is absolutely no cabs :-( pic.twitter.com/MZkaz2fYE0
— Sathish Kumar M (@sathishmsk) November 2, 2017
Traffic closed at T.Nagar Duraisamy subway due to water log.Situation @ 11 PM. Stay Safe #ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/NohXdUw0DE
— Sriram (@Ennaipol_Oruvan) November 2, 2017
Both the National Disaster Management Agency and the State Disaster Management Agency have asked people to stay indoors.
Schools and colleges in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvalluvar districts will remain shut on Friday. Moreover, the state government has asked private companies in Chennai to allow employees to work from home.
Tamil Nadu’s coastal districts are likely to continue receiving rains on Friday, as a low pressure area has formed over Sri Lanka and the south west Bay of Bengal. The showers will, however, remain moderate, according to S Balachandran, Director of the Area Cyclone Warning Centre in Chennai.
On Thursday, the Chief Minister held a high-level meeting at the Secretariat to discuss the damage caused by the rain in the state over the last week. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Ministers D Jayakumar, Dindugal Sreenivasan, Vijayabhaskar and Thangamani were present at the meeting.
The death of two young girls in Kodungaiyur after stepping on a live wire reportedly took centrestage in their discussion.
The government announced ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh for each bereaved family. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board will also be giving a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the grieving families.
Other ministers have, meanwhile, been visiting waterlogged districts across the state. Textiles Minister OS Manian, who was overseeing relief work in Nagapattinam, said that unauthorised houses had caused waterlogging in some areas. "People have been shifted to relief centres. But we will ensure that they are provided alternate housing in the coming year," he said.
Two ministers have been designated for each zone in Chennai to expedite relief. More suction pumps have been deployed to clear water logging in the city.
The government also sought to allay public fears of overflowing reservoirs.
"The Chembarambakkam reservoir that provides water for Chennai city is only 15% full," said Revenue Minister Udhayakumar. "We request people to stop spreading and believing rumours that state otherwise," he added.
Entire govt machinery is working round the clock to help citizens through 24*7#ControlRoom
— TN SDMA (@tnsdma) November 2, 2017
Please RT 4 these silent heroes#ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/ci2Ca51Egi
#ChennaiRains. Numbers you can use. Pls save and keep. pic.twitter.com/xGw90NWsPA
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) November 2, 2017
Some helpline numbers-
— priyankathirumurthy (@priyankathiru) November 2, 2017
Tree fall and water logging: 1913
Electricity issues: 1912
Sewage issues: 45674567, 22200335#ChennaiRains