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North Tamil Nadu battles heavy rainfall, CM Stalin takes stock
As heavy rain continues across northern Tamil Nadu, chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday inspected neighbourhoods in Chennai and expressed confidence about the preparations of his government in tackling waterlogging.
As heavy rain continues across northern Tamil Nadu, chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday inspected neighbourhoods in Chennai and expressed confidence about the preparations of his government in tackling waterlogging.
Speaking to reporters during the inspection, the CM said the government is prepared to face any amount of rain.
While the rain showers have been intermittent in Chennai, adjoining districts of Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur registered 17cm and 13cm of rainfall respectively in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai, the heavy rain was due to a low-pressure formation over north interior Tamil Nadu which now lies over the southeast and adjoining east central Arabian Sea off the north Kerala coast, with the associated cyclonic circulation extending up to middle tropospheric levels.
The RMC said on Sunday: “Across the state, in three districts there has been very heavy rainfall, while in 32 places, heavy rainfall has been recorded.”
“Maximum has been recorded in Kancheepuram district’s Uthiramerur (17cm). We have had 16% excess rainfall than the average during this north east monsoon season,” said an official from the RMC
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that in Chennai, moderate rain is expected over the next 48 hours and there will be a decrease in rainfall across Tamil Nadu. As per the latest statement by IMD, a low-pressure area is likely to form over Southeast Bay of Bengal and its neighbourhood around November 16.
During his inspection in Chennai, Stalin inspected a few places, including his constituency Kolathur.
When asked a question about waterlogging, Stalin dismissed the reports. “Where is the water stagnating? Show me. Only when it rains, there might be water stagnation, but after sometime it drains out,” the chief minister said.
He was accompanied by Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi and a few ministers.
“The public works department and metro water department have been working together to handle the issues,” Stalin said. “All the work is going well. The opposition is criticising us, but we have the public’s praise, that’s enough for us.”
Leader of opposition and AIADMK interim general secretary, Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) on Sunday demanded that the chief minister release aid to farmers affected by the monsoon. “Due to the heavy rains, around 1.5 lakh acres of land for paddy cultivation has been flooded... It’s unfortunate that ministers and officials have not offered any comfort to farmers,” EPS said.
CM Stalin told reporters said that he would leave later in the day to take stock of the situation in delta districts such as Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore.
Sirkazhi in Mayiladuthurai saw 44 cm rainfall in 24 hours ending on midnight of November 12, resulting in damage to infrastructure and farmlands.
According to a GCC statement, the civic body has installed 954 pumps across Chennai to drain out water, of which 447 were being used as of Sunday.
On November 12, two people succumbed to rain-related incidents in Salem and Thiruvanamalai and 83 cattle deaths have been reported so far. As many as 16,807 people have been evacuated and moved to relief shelters across Tamil Nadu.
