R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, DECEMBER 2
Three Tamil Nadu universities have postponed the examinations scheduled to take place on Monday while educational institutions in some districts of Tamil Nadu State and the Union Territory of Puducherry will remain closed following forecast of heavyrain
The examinations of Annamalai University, Madras University and Anna University have also been postponed.
According to a Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority Twitter handle, a day’s holiday has been declared in schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur, Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram districts, while only schools have been closed in Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore and Chennai districts. Holiday has also been declared in Puducherry schools.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Edpaddi K. Palaniswami has convened an urgent meeting at the secretariat to take stock of the preparedness to meet emergencies on Monday, sources in the government said.
Annamalai University In-Charge Registrar N. Krishnamohan announced that all exams scheduled to be held on Monday, December 2, have been put off and the exact date of these exams will be declared later. Similarly, Madras University and Anna University will also declare the next date of postponed exams later.
A flood alert has been sounded to villagers on the banks of the Sankarabarani river in Puducherry. The order was issued by the revenue and disaster management authorities on Sunday as water was to be released from Veedur dam, 50 km from here.
The alert comes in the wake of the decision of the Tamil Nadu government to release water from the dam in Villupuram district located in neighbouring Tamil Nadu on Monday.
Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister RB Udhayakumar said that nearly 800 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas in Cuddalore district.
“Teams of state disaster response force have moved to Chennai, Kanyakumari, Nilgiri, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Dindigul districts,” he added.
Rains lashed many parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry with the North-East monsoon in the last 24 hours claiming one life in the state capital, even as the Met office predicted more showers in the next two days.
Various parts of the state have been receiving good rainfall since the onset of the monsoon on October 16. Director of area cyclone-warning Centre, Regional Meteorological Centre, N Puviarasan told reporters here that the presence of an upper air circulation caused heavy to very heavy rains.
“In the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday, Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district recorded maximum of 19 cm of rainfall followed by Cuddalore 17 cm, Tirunelveli 15 cm, Kancheepuram 13 cm, ” he told reporters here on Sunday.
He said light to heavy rainfall may occur over the next 24-48 hours. “Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Vellore, Tiruvallur, Thiruvannamalai districts may receive very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours,” he said.
To a query, he said the rainfall recorded since October 1 was 39 per cent which was three per cent higher than the rain received during the setting of the monsoon. For Chennai and its surrounding areas, he said light to moderate rainfall may occur over the next two days. “The city received 51 cm this season which is 9 per cent less compared to the normal 60 cm received during monsoon season,” he said.
He advised fishermen not to venture into sea at Cape Comorin, Lakshadweep area as gusty winds were likely to occur due to the presence of depression in the Arabian Sea. To another query, he said Nagapattinam district received the maximum rainfall registering 81 cm as against 67 cm normally during the monsoon season.
Meanwhile, Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan took stock of situation in the state capital and reviewed the measures taken following the heavy rainfall. Talking to reporters, Viswanathan said all the departments have been alerted to take stock of situation in a coordinated manner.
He said a WhatsApp group of officers has been formed to ensure that immediate steps would be taken.
“Five teams from the State Disaster Relief Force have been kept on standby and teams from the National Disaster Relief Force, if required, may also join in,” he said.
Several low-lying areas in the city were inundated. A 49-year-old man died at Ambattur on Saturday night after he accidentally fell into a stormwater drain. An official from the Fire and Rescue Services Muthu Krishnan said they received information about the man falling into the 6-7 foot deep storm water drain.
Firemen rushed to the scene, and pulled the body out, he said. DMK chief M K Stalin took to social media saying district administration should take measures on war-footing following the rains. “Several low-lying areas were inundated, and power supply was cut. The district administration should take immediate steps,” he said in a Facebook post.
Water-logging in Chennai roads
Heavy rainfall, many streets and roads in the city were waterlogged on Saturday. Media reports suggest that the Chennai Corporation received most of the complaints related to water logging from zones such as Adyar, Perungudi and Sholinganallur. Main thoroughfares such as Nungambakkam, T Nagar and Anna Nagar were experienced traffic jam.
Greater Chennai Corporation has announced the following control room numbers to report water-logging – 044 25384520, 044 25384530, 044 25384540 and WhatsApp on 9445477205.
In neighbouring Puducherry, incessant rains hit normal life from this morning. Puducherryl Chief Minister V Narayanasamy told newsmen at his residence the union territory saw nearly 12 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours and the directorate of school education declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Monday.
The Chief Minister said he was recuperating after a knee replacement surgery, so he could not visit the rain-ravaged areas, but his ministerial colleagues had fanned out to different pockets for relief and rehabilitation works.
Most of the thoroughfares were water-logged disrupting vehicular traffic. Daily wage earners were hard-hit because of the inclement weather. Reports from the southern districts said rains hit normal life by affecting rail and vehicular traffic and submerging crops.
In some places, residents have been moved to safe ground as houses were marooned, officials said. Vehicular traffic in Tiruchendur and Thoothukudi was affected. Kovai Express and Pearl City Express were stopped at Melur as the tracks got submerged.
State Minister Vijayabaskar visited the flood-affected areas in Pudukottai district and was overseeing relief operation. The rain over the last two days in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi resulted in most dams getting filled up, the officials said. The North-East monsoon accounts for about 48 per cent of the annual rainfall in the state.
