Chennai: Rains continued to lash Chennai and other regions, including northern districts of Tamil Nadu on Monday while authorities disconnected power supply here in vulnerable neighbourhoods as a precautionary measure.
In Chennai and other northern districts, including Chengelpet, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Vellore, rains were in most regions mild to moderate and intermittent since early Monday. The Meteorological department in a bulletin said the cyclonic circulation over south east Bay of Bengal and adjoining South Andaman sea, extending up to 5.8 kilometers above the mean sea level, persists. Under its influence, a low pressure area is very likely to form over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours.
It is likely to move west–northwestwards, concentrate into a depression and reach near north Tamil Nadu coast by November 11, early morning and bring widespread rainfall in several regions of the state, the bulletin said.
The rainfall (from 8.30 AM, 7 Nov to 8.30 AM, 8 Nov) recorded here and suburban areas ranged between 4 CM and 14 CM. Other regions, including Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore, recorded between 3 CM and 1 CM showers.
For the second consecutive day, Chief Minister M K Stalin inspected affected areas and gave away flood relief assistance to affected people at Royapuram here.
In Chennai, most roads and bylanes and a section of subways remained waterlogged and continued to be closed. Traffic diversion too continued and road-users had a tough time. A flooded city police station (Adambakkam) had to be shifted to another temporary premise.
To clear water-logging, inundation of subways and rain related tasks, Greater Chennai Corporation deployed 23,000 personnel who slogged amid showers to restore normalcy. So far, 2,02,350 people in affected areas have been provided food since Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
On Monday morning, about 1,29,00 breakfast packs of 'Pongal' and 'Ravakitchadi' prepared in community kitchens were served to people in affected areas. Over two lakh packets of lunch, comprising variety rice like sambar, lemon, brinji, and tamarind were provided to people, a civic agency release said.
In total, 3,36,000 food packets were distributed.
"As on November 8 morning, 889 residents of water-stagnant low lying areas were safely evacuated and housed in relief centres. They are being provided food three times a day."
Chief Minister M K Stalin has appointed 15 IAS officials to monitor relief work in 15 corporation zones.
Also, 200 special monsoon medical camps were held, in which 3,776 people received medical assistance. A total of 152 fever cases, 165 cases related to skin infections and over 2,600 other cases were treated, the corporation said.
Civic workers continued their job without respite clearing garbage and clogged drains.
Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji said that out of about 44,50,000 power connections in the Chennai distribution circle, only 12,297 connections were disconnected, considering safety. "Power supply will be restored expeditiously with receding of flood waters and rains," the Minister tweeted.
While transport services, including suburban train services, were affected on Sunday, Southern Railway said "all suburban services are running and will run normally."
In a tweet, the Divisional Railway Manager said, "This marginal delay will be on North bound long distance trains towards Howrah, Delhi and Hyderabad and other stations north of Chennai. While we have tried our best to put out all the updated information, we regret the inconvenience caused due to factors beyond our control."
Though state-run bus services here and in other neighbouring regions continued to ply, there was disruption in services on several routes.
A Metrorail official said Monday services "will be run on Sunday and government public holiday timetable with extended service hours from 5.30 AM to 11 PM with 10 minutes headway throughout the day." The schedule of services as per holiday timetable is confined to Monday.
In view of rains, the prices of vegetables shot up sharply with a kilo of tomato, which was available for about Rs 30-40, a couple of days ago now being sold at Rs 90-Rs 100. Similarly prices of other veggies also saw an increase.
Considering the showers, the Arignar Anna Zoo here said a 'monsoon monitoring team' has been constituted, comprising the Deputy Director and forest range officers, to ensure the safety and security of animals and to undertake remedial measures, if warranted.
Vellore District authorities said about 4,609 cusecs of water was being discharged from Ponnai Anaicut and considering safety, an alert was sounded to people and police personnel deployed at Melpadi and Ponnai causeways. District Collector P Kumaravel Pandian inspected repair work of damaged roads.
Updating on the Northeast monsoon, officials in Vellore said so far nine tenements have been damaged fully and 66 partially and three people and an equal number of cows died in rain related incidents till November 6.
