Giant holes appeared in two roads in Chennai on the night of Tuesday, November 9, with one almost swallowing a van, after heavy rains lashed the city. The roads that caved in included the Anna Main Road near MGR Market in KK Nagar, and another road near Kamarajar Salai. Images doing the rounds on social media show one road with a deep hole due to the cave-in, and water gushing into it. The hole was barricaded in order to avoid any untoward incidents. In another instance, a huge hole almost swallowed up a van that was parked on the road.
Speaking to TNM, an official of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) said, "Below the Alagiri Salai to Anna Main Road stretch is a 30-feet sewer line. The sewer started to leak because of the rain. And with repeated passage of heavy vehicles, the road caved in on Tuesday night. A van that was stuck in the cave-in was retrieved. The Chennai Metro Water department has begun inspection at the spot."
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the state police department and revenue officials are on high alert after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chennai and several other districts of Tamil Nadu. Schools and colleges in Chennai and many districts have been given holidays for Wednesday, November 10 and Thursday, November 11.
Roads in K K Nagar caved in yesterday night. @CHN_Metro_Water @chennaicorp #Roads #Chennai #Chennairains pic.twitter.com/5ehS22Uije
— Komal Gautham (@komalgauthamTOI) November 10, 2021
The IMD area cyclone warning department has, in a statement, said that rains are expected on Wednesday in Cuddalore, Pudukottai, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Puducherry and Karaikal areas. On Thursday, heavy to very heavy rains are expected in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvannamalai districts.
The IMD has also warned that the whole of western Tamil Nadu will also receive spells of rain, and from November 11 onwards, the rainfall would recede. The NDRF has already prepared for any eventuality and more than 10 teams are in Chennai. The NDRF, police, and revenue teams have, according to sources in the Tamil Nadu police, jointly arrived at plans for evacuation and other eventualities if heavy rains lash Chennai and the surrounding areas.