News Mania / Piyal Chatterjee / 16th October 2024
The state government of Tamil Nadu has announced a public holiday for October 16 for schools, colleges, and government offices in Chennai and the nearby districts of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu due to the Northeast Monsoon’s unrelenting rains and flood warnings. Chief Minister MK Stalin made the announcement as the India Meteorological Department forecasted increased rains in the state.
According to the IMD forecast, the worst is still to come. Rainfall is predicted to increase on October 16 and then decrease by October 18. As it approaches the shore, the low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, which has already wreaked havoc in Chennai and the surrounding districts, is predicted to intensify into a depression.
The state has responded by establishing 931 relief centers, guaranteeing that individuals impacted by the floods have access to food and medical assistance.The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has sent out thousands of personnel, pumps, and relief teams throughout the city as the rains continue to pound Chennai and the surrounding districts.With heavy to extremely heavy rains expected over the next two days, the IMD has issued a red signal for Chennai and surrounding areas. The government has extended the holiday for educational institutions as a result of this move, while private businesses have been encouraged to permit their staff to work from home.
Since Monday night, Chennai, a city of roughly 11 million people, has been hit by severe downpours on occasion. Chennai had an average of 6.9 cm of rain between 8:30 am on Monday and 8:00 am on Tuesday, according to the city’s Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), with regions like Ennore receiving up to 10 cm. Each of Manali, Kolathur, and T V K. Nagar took a 9 cm measurement.
Traffic was stopped by Tuesday am due to flooded low-lying areas and wet streets. Several inches of water covered the city’s main thoroughfares, which are frequently vulnerable to floods. Due to safety concerns, autorickshaw drivers left the streets, and public transportation was badly disrupted, with only a few buses running in the morning.
In order to address the problem, the administration has mobilized substantial resources after learning from previous monsoon catastrophes. Five coastal districts have seen the deployment of 26 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), with Chennai receiving particular attention. Emergency relief supplies, boats, and tractors with pumps have been positioned in flood-prone areas, especially in neighborhoods like Velachery and Pallikaranai.
On Monday, Chief Minister Stalin toured a number of the city’s residential areas. Since Monday evening, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has been traveling throughout the city to oversee the water logging problems and organize relief operations.
While most of the city’s power supply has stayed steady, Tangedco, the state’s electricity supplier, has been forced to turn off power in a few flood-prone areas.
At Chennai International Airport, inclement weather and low visibility have caused 23 flights to be delayed and 12 planes to be cancelled, significantly impacting air travel as well. Arrivals from Mumbai and Singapore were delayed by about two hours, while a number of flights from Singapore, Muscat, and domestic locations including Bhubaneswar and Coimbatore were canceled.
