Tamil Nadu: The Greater Chennai Police Friday announced traffic diversions in the city as 7 subways and 8 roads in the city have been closed due to heavy water logging post incessant rains in the city on Thursday. The rains in Tamil Nadu subsided on Friday as the depression over the Bay of Bengal weakened into a “well-marked low-pressure area”. The weather system had crossed the coast of Tamil Nadu between 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm on Thursday, bringing with it heavy rains and high winds. The red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has now been withdrawn. Schools and colleges remain closed on Friday.
On Friday, thunderstorms with heavy rains are likely to be witnessed in parts of the state, including Nilgiris, Coimbatore and Kanyakumari districts. Light to moderate rain is likely to occur at many places over the rest of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area. Chennai bore the brunt of the depression, with the rains flooding major roads and neighbourhoods, disrupting power supply to more than 65,000 houses, delaying rail operations, and halting flight arrivals for about 6 hours Thursday. At least 14 people have died in rain-related incidents across the state over the past 11 days. The rains over the last two weeks have submerged standing crops on at least 1.45 lakh acres and horticultural crops on 6,000 acres in the state.
Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam called this a “preliminary estimate”, adding that the actual loss to long-term Samba rice crop, raised on about 44 lakh acres, can be assessed only after the water recedes. Amid the heavy downpour, the flood-hit neighbourhoods like Mudichur, Perungalathur and Nandivaram-Guduvancherry appeared like mini islands with little access to essential needs. Power supply, too, was disconnected from these neighbourhoods. Taking the view of the situation, Chief Minister MK Stalin directed officials, specially deputed to manage rain-related issues, in various districts to expedite the relief activities and ensure quality food and medical facilities in relief camps.