Tamil Nadu rains: Schools shut in several districts due to heavy downpour

Widespread rains lashed parts of Tamil Nadu prompting authorities to declare a holiday for schools in Chennai and many other districts reported news agency PTIWith the people yet to come to terms with the devastation caused in 14 districts across Tamil Nadu by Cyclone Fengal the intense rain throughout the state inundated several areas and submerged standing crops in the districts reported PTIIn Chennai apprehensive of destruction to their cars many residents parked their vehicles on the Velachery flyover At many places in the city people had to confront kneedeep water even on the arterial roads and many residential areas were flooded due to the rain since Wednesday nightTraffic at Kathipara Poonammallee Porur Maduravoyal Vysarpadi and Chennai suburbs came to a standstill with all sorts of vehicles getting stranded in the rainwater reported PTIResidents of Vyasarpadi and Pallavaram complained that water logging in their areas during monsoon has become a regular feature They hoped the civic authorities would ensure an effective mechanism to drain excess flood water and make the roads safe and motorable reported PTIAtleast three subways were heavily inundated with rainwater forcing the civic body to temporarily shut them Efforts were on to bail out the waterSeveral areas in Thiruvannamalai which had experienced mud slips atleast four times when Cyclone Fengal crossed the Tamil Nadu and Karaikal coast on November 30 and some parts in the southern districts as well were swarmed by swathes of waterAn NDRF team has been deployed at Thiruvannamalai equipped with advanced disaster management equipment to respond to any emergency an official saidIn Thiruvannamalai the Sri Arunachaleswar temple staff and volunteers braved the downpour to carry the 65 feet high copper cauldron koparai with the Lords name on their lips to place it atop the 2668 feet high mountain to light the Maha Deepam on December 13 evening The lighting of the gigantic ghee lamp on the hill top marks the conclusion of the annual 10day Karthiga deepam festival at the renowned temple The Bharani deepam will be lit at the temple on Friday morningA source in Public Works Department PWD told PTI that the reservoirs and tanks in the state which were replenished due to heavy downpour triggered by the recent cyclone were now receiving copious inflows The water level in many dams reached 60 to 80 percentFollowing a sudden increase in the inflows into the Sathanur dam in Thiruvannamalai district that sharply surged the water level about 13000 cusecs water was released from the reservoir today In Chennai about 1000 cusecs water was released from the Poondi dam one of the chief sources of drinking water to the metro in the afternoon and the quantum was gradually increased to about 5000 cusecs in the evening PWD said reported PTIThe water level in the Chembarambakkam dam here inched towards the full reservoir level Its present level stood at 2190 feet against its full level capacity of 24 feet Its storage increased to 8488 percent owing to heavy rain in the catchment areasThe six lakesdams supplying drinking water to Chennai with a total storage capacity of 13213 Mcft water at present have a combined storage of 10487 Mcft water that is 7937 percent reported PTIThe state government has urged people in the low lying areas to remain vigilant and take appropriate action It said 2000 cusecs of surplus water will be released from Pichatur reservoir into the Arani riveriquestThe state received 16 per cent more than normal rainfall during this North East Monsoon which commenced on October 15 The NEM is likely to intensify and last till midJanuary 2025iquest IMD Regional Meteorological Centre director S Balachandran saidThe wellmarked low pressure area which lay centred in the Mannar Bay will weaken into a depression in the next 12 hours causing heavy to very heavy rainfall activity in the coastal and interior districts of Tamil Nadu he told reportersBalachandran said there was an indication of another system forming in the Andaman Sea on December 15Following the heavy rainfall warning issued by the IMD six NDRF teams have been alerted to swing into rescue and relief activity in case of emergency the government saidOvernight rains lashed Chennai and the neighbouring Tiruvallur Chengelpet and Kancheepuram besides Villupuram and some areas in the Cauvery delta regionFollowing sharp showers authorities declared a days holiday for schools in districts including Chennai Tiruvallur Chengelpet Kancheepuram Villupuram Ramanathapuram Thanjavur Mayiladuthurai and CuddaloreThe regional weather office has forecast more spells of rain in Chennai Tiruvallur Chengelpet and Kancheepuram Villupuram Kallakurichi Tiruvarur Thanjavur districts in the state besides the neighbouring union territory PuducherryPaddy crop ready for harvest in Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts was submerged in rainwaterThree electric poles collapsed due to heavy rain near Mannargudi in Thiruvarur district said policeWith inputs from PTI