With heavy rainfall lashing coastal areas and several other districts in the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has directed ministers to visit some of the districts where a downpour is anticipated to take preventive measures and coordinate relief measures.
Stalin, who took stock of the situation and visited the Emergency Operations Centre at Ezhilagam in Chennai on Tuesday, interacted with the district collectors and asked them to be prepared with all requisite measures like ensuring civic amenities at relief camps established to accommodate people in case of any inundation.
The ministers have been asked to visit coastal areas like Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai districts to carry out necessary measures.
With few districts along the coastal areas and others including Tiruvallur having declared holiday for both schools and colleges on Wednesday due to rainfall, only schools were shut in Chennai. The district collector of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram announced educational institutions will continue to run as usual.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the possibility of light thunderstorm and lightning with light/moderate rainfall at isolated places over Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur districts of Tamil Nadu as well as Puducherry and Karaikal for the next three hours.
The weather department said heavy rainfall will continue in the delta and other districts of Tamil Nadu for the next 24 hours.
S Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, said in the next 24 hours, most places in coastal and isolated areas in some districts are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall.
Balachandran said the delta districts, Pudukkottai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, and Chengalpet in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall.
He added that 19 cm of rainfall was recorded at the DGP office in Chennai in the last 24 hours. Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur in most places in Chennai with some areas likely to experience heavy rainfall, according to the weather bureau.
As of Wednesday, Velankanni (Nagapattinam district), Kodiyakarai (Nagapattinam district), and Karaikal (Karaikal district) recorded 11 cm of rainfall each.
Chennai Mayor R Priya and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner J Radhakrishnan have been inspecting the preventive works carried out in several areas in the city prone to waterlogging as well as cooking centres kept ready to serve people in case they need to be accommodated in shelters.
As per GCC, moderate rainfall was recorded in Chennai in the last 24 hours until 6 a.m. today. Kathivakkam in Tiruvottiyur zone has recorded the highest rainfall among all zones,with 42.60 mm. Overall, Chennai has recorded an average rainfall of 31.04 mm.#ChennaiRains #RainUpdate pic.twitter.com/LxKOSyOtOd
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As per the data issued by the GCC, Kathivakkam in the Thiruvottiyur zone has recorded 42.60 mm of rainfall from 6 pm on Tuesday to 6 am on Wednesday. Overall, Chennai has recorded an average rainfall of 31.04 mm during the above period.
The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) at Rippon Building in Chennai has been monitoring the developments 24×7 and informing the authorities to take swift action in case of any inundation, tracking the complaints in each of the 15 zones in the city.
While addressing reporters in Chennai, Radhakrishnan said none of the 16 subways or interior roads in the city are inundated despite the heavy rainfall.
The social media pages of the civic body have also been actively engaging with users and assuring them to take action for any rain-related complaints.
