Chennai rain live updates: Schools closed in 18 districts

Monsoon is here. Rain has led to flooding and yet Tamil Nadu is almost always short of water. More so because of the absence of a groundwater policy. The ground and surface water resources wing of the public works department, in a study conducted last year, an order for which was passed last week, found groundwater is overexploited (with more than 100% extraction) in 435 revenue firkas (sub-divisions within taluks) in the state. At least 26 firkas in Chennai district are over-exploited, including all those in Egmore-Nungambakkam, Fort-Tondiarpet, Mambalam-Guindy, Mylapore-Triplicane, Purasawalkam-Perambur, Ambattur, Maduravoyal and Tiruvottiyur regions. Only Alandur, Sholinganallur, and Pallikaranai are safe.

Chennai district collector announces holiday for schools on Wednesday due to heavy rains.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Tuesday announced that the income tax (I-T) officials had unearthed unaccounted income to the tune of Rs 300 crore and seized Rs 3.3 crore unaccounted cash during the searches conducted in more than 40 premises belonging to SKM Group of Companies on October 27. READ MORE

A woman police head constable died on the spot after a tree, uprooted by gusty winds, fell on her when she was regulating traffic near the exit gate of the secretariat around 9.15am on Tuesday. A male constable who was standing next to her escaped with minor injuries. READ MORE

Rain may play spoilsport on Diwali eve celebrations and for last-minute shoppers, as IMD has forecast thunderstorms with moderate to heavy over some areas of the city and the suburbs on Wednesday. READ MORE