Clouds hover in the sky over Marina beach in Chennai, Friday. (PTI photo)
Rains continued to lash parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry for the second day Friday, prompting officials to declare holiday for educational institutions in Tamil Nadu.
Following forecast of extreme heavy rain on Sunday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami held a review meeting at Chennai and issued a series of instructions to officials.
These included asking collectors of coastal districts to take steps for the early return of fishermen who have ventured into the sea, an official release said.
In addition to medical assistance, officials were also instructed to keep ready adequate stocks of food and clothes that might be required in the event of people being evacuated to relief camps, the release said.
Reservoirs with over 70 per cent storage should be monitored, it added.
Following sharp spells of rains in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, educational institutions were closed, officials said.
Schools remained closed in Chennai, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin, while a holiday was declared for both schools and colleges in the rest of the districts.
Meanwhile, Puducherry received heavy rains and an official said the union territory recorded 9.5 cm rainfall in the last 24 hours ending 8.30am.
Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi said the government machinery was geared up to tackle the situation. The rain is going to enrich the water table, she said.
Residential areas in Oulgaret and neighbouring municipal segments were waterlogged, throwing normal life out of gear.
Government machinery was geared up to meet any exigency, official sources said.
Farm lands were waterlogged and a farmer said the paddy he had raised on a large extent of land was flooded.