In response to heavy rainfall affecting Tamil Nadu, the state government has announced a public holiday for schools and colleges across four northern districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu, on October 16. This decision comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts isolated extremely heavy rainfall in the region.
The Chief Minister’s office stated, “Under its influence, isolated extremely heavy rainfall is very likely over Tamil Nadu on 16th October. Given the above, the Government has decided to declare a Public Holiday tomorrow.” In addition to educational institutions, all government offices, including Public Undertakings and Corporations, will be closed for the day.
Essential services, including police, fire services, hospitals, and banks, will continue to operate normally. Commercial establishments are also permitted to function as usual, ensuring that daily needs are met despite the weather conditions.
Chennai and surrounding areas have experienced widespread intermittent rain, leading to knee-deep water on several roads, particularly in residential neighborhoods. In flood-prone areas like Ram Nagar in Madippakkam, residents took precautionary measures by parking their vehicles on the nearby Velachery bridge. Reports indicate flooding at over 300 locations in Chennai, disrupting public transport services and prompting officials to deploy heavy-duty pumps to clear waterlogging. Fortunately, no significant rain-related incidents have been reported, aside from a wall collapse resulting in injuries to one individual.
The Tamil Nadu government has mobilized disaster response teams and stationed over 200 boats at vulnerable locations. In the affected districts, more than 931 relief centers have been established, with IAS officers monitoring the situation continuously.
The Southern Railway has canceled four express trains, including the Chennai Central-Mysuru Kaveri Express, while several others have been diverted. Additionally, numerous domestic flights were canceled at Chennai Airport due to the inclement weather.
Chief Minister MK Stalin inspected flood relief operations and urged officials to expedite rainwater drainage in flood-prone areas. He commended the efforts of sanitary and civic workers and pledged his support for frontline workers managing the crisis. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also conducted inspections of several lakes in Chennai and visited the integrated command and control center at Ripon Building to oversee ongoing operations.
Rainfall measurements indicated that localities like Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 13 cm and 10 cm of rain, respectively, by 7:30 PM on Tuesday. The Regional Meteorological Centre upgraded the orange alert for Chennai to a red alert, anticipating isolated extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 20 cm on Wednesday.
The IMD has forecast additional rain in Tamil Nadu over the next two days, attributing the inclement weather to a well-marked low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal that intensified into a depression on Tuesday evening. The agency has warned of heavy to very heavy rain, particularly in the districts of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Chennai.
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