Friday, 12 November 2021 | PNS | Chennai
Normal life in Chennai hit, airport closed for 5 hours
Tamil Nadu has been witnessing incessant rain since Wednesday, leading to death of 20 people, with normal life in Chennai and suburbs coming to a standstill. However, the Government is yet to come out with any death figures.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) suspended the arrivals at Chennai Airport from 1.15 pm to 6 pm. However, the service was resumed later in the day.
Several roads in Chennai were inundated on Thursday. The traffic police closed at least seven roads and 11 subways, and created diversions across the city for commuters. Due to waterlogging on rail tracks, some suburban trains were suspended while others were delayed.
The Regional Meteorological Centre has forecast that the metro and suburbs are likely to receive moderate to heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours and this is likely to aggravate the situation.
S Balachandran, head, RMC, told The Pioneer that Tamil Nadu received 54 per cent rainfall more than the normal level during the North East monsoon. “Chennai has received 77 per cent more rainfall than normal level,” he said.
In the next 24 hours, thunderstorms with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall are expected in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Ranipet. Thunderstorm with heavy rain can be expected in Vellore, Tirupattur,
Vellore, Villupuram and Chengalpattu. Strong winds of 40-45 kmph likely over Chennai and suburbs.
At the time of going to Press, there was an announcement from the RMC that the intensity of rain would come down by Friday morning.
Last two days of rain inundated 1.5 lakh acres of standing crops in Cauvery Delta districts, known as rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister M K Stalin has rushed a team of Ministers to Thanjavur to take stock of the situation.
Massive relief operations are underway in Chennai and suburbs to help the people got stranded in the floods. The storm water drainages that carry the excess water from the seven reservoirs that feed the metro have been chocked and this is being seen as the reason for water logging and flooding of the main thoroughfares and ring roads.
Pravin Pillai, a resident of Indira Nagar, a high end residential premises, said he has been held up in the house because of the flooded roads and could not move
out anywhere for buying essential items.
“We did not expect this kind of rain though the weather bureau had forecast of heavy downpours,” said Pillai.
The Chief Minister is taking stock of the situation on a round-the-clock basis and has deputed a team of ministers to lead and supervise the rescue and relief measures undertaken by the national disaster response force.
Governor RN Ravi, himself a former IPS officer, spoke to the NDRF and conveyed to the Centre about the kind of relief works underway in the flood affected areas.
Video images of a woman police inspector in the suburbs carrying a person on her shoulders to an autorickshaw went viral.
The inspector was seen carrying the 28 -year-old man on her shoulders to a waiting autorickshaw and asking the driver to take him to the nearest hospital caught the attention of the police chief who instantly complimented the officer.
