Tamil Nadu Rains LIVE Updates: Toll Rises to 5; Madras HC Asks 'What Was Chennai Corp Doing Since 2015 Floods?'

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has inspected rain-affected areas of Kolathur and Villivakkam in Chennai, where he distributed food and relief materials to the needy people.

Speaking to ANI, Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said the state has received average rainfall of 16.84 mm in last 24 hours with Chengalpet district receiving the highest.

The death toll in Tamil Nadu due to rain-related incidents on Tuesday jumped to five, said Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran, adding that 538 huts were damaged and four houses fully damaged. “More damage expected if rain intensifies,” the minister further said.

The S-8 Adambakkam police station in Chennai was shifted temporarily to a house nearby after it was inundated following heavy rains, police said on Monday. The station is now relocated at New Colony Second Sstreet, Adambakkam. “The station is three feet below the ground level and during rains, water enters the station and the building is also leaky. After incessant rains for the past two days, the station is full of water and on the directions from senior officers, we have shifted our station to a nearby home to serve the public,” Police Inspector Valarmathi told media persons.

Heavy rains continued to lash Puducherry on Monday under the influence of cyclonic circulation in the Bay of Bengal, and the Union Territory government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday also. Meanwhile, several homes were destroyed in the rains and waterlogging and the opposition leader, R. Siva demanded the government to sanction immediate relief to all those affected.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said two teams of NDRF personnel have been deployed in Madurai and one team each in Chengelpet and Tiruvallur. Similarly, the state disaster response teams are stationed in Thanjavur and Cuddalore districts. The Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services wing is on alert mode with all the necessary equipment, he said on Monday. The 24 x 7 state control room in Chennai and those in districts could be contacted through the toll free numbers 1070 and 1077 respectively, he said. People may also get in touch with authorities of Greater Chennai Corporation by using the 1913 toll free number.

“The first stage of the Chennai rains is almost over. However, the IMD has predicted extreme rainfall for the next three days. Hence, more than 20 NDRF teams will be deployed in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh,” said NDRF DG SN Pradhan to ANI on the current flood situation in Tamil Nadu.

Rameswaram has received rainfall due to Northeast Monsoon over Tamil Nadu. The IMD has predicted ‘heavy to very heavy’ rainfall in the state today. (Image: ANI)

In Chennai, most roads and bylanes were covered under sheets of water while there was water upto two feet in low lying localities. Power supply has also been disconnected for several neighbourhoods considering safety. A flooded city police station, Adambakkam had to be shifted to a temporary building. At least 75 trees got uprooted here and these were cleared by civic personnel. Monsoon rains picked pace for a while and receded for some time, playing hide and seek through the day, Chennai and in several other regions including the northern districts.

Surplus rain water gushed out of reservoirs while several roads here resembled swollen rivers and four persons were killed in rain related incidents in Tamil Nadu and over 60 houses suffered damage, authorities said on Monday, as alert was sounded to people living in low-lying areas in parts of the State.

The Tamil Nadu government is conducting health clinics to take preventive measures against fever and other water-borne diseases as the state is reeling under heavy rains and waterlogging. Health Secretary JA Radhakrishnan in a letter addressed to the district collectors said that 416 mobile medical units and 770 jeep-borne units have been deployed for the exercise. State Health Minister Ma Subramanian told IANS, “The Health Department is running mobile health clinics across the state, while mobile ambulances have also been deployed in all the districts. We are closely monitoring if people are getting infected by any rain-related diseases. The Covid situation is also being closely monitored.”

In the last 120 years, the month of October has received heavy rainfall — as it did this year — on three other occasions, the weather department has said and added that the downpour in 2021 was the highest since then. According to data released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Kerala received 589.9 mm rainfall in October this year, the highest since the year 1901 and more than double what the state got last year during this month.

Extremely heavy rainfall is likely over some parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh on November 10 and 11 which may inundate roads and low-lying areas, and cause riverine flooding in some catchment areas, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday. A cyclonic circulation lies over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining south Andaman Sea extending up to middle tropospheric levels. Under its influence, a low pressure area is very likely to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours.