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Chennai receives first spell of heavy rainfall; few roads flooded: Official
On Thursday, Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam stations in Chennai received 15.8 and 14 mm rainfall respectively up to 7.30pm
The state's capital woke up to a mixed situation a day after it received an average of 10 cm of rainfall — the highest this north east monsoon season. In some localities, water drained away by the new storm water drains and the pumps, while some interior roads were inundated so traffic remained slow. Schools in Chennai were closed on Thursday. However, since rains were intermittent the Greater Chennai Corporation had enough time to clear roads especially arterial roads such as Santhome High road, Anna Salai and East Coast Road which were dry. However, residents and commuters faced hardship in the interior roads such as in Anna Nagar, Kodambakkam, Madipakkam.
On Thursday, Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam stations in Chennai received 15.8 and 14 mm rainfall respectively up to 7.30pm. The highest rainfall recorded in Tamil Nadu was in Nagapattinam district at 26mm. The rains are being caused due to a well marked low pressure over the Bay of Bengal which is likely to concentrate into a depression in the next 24 hours, the regional meteorological centre (RMC) in Chennai said. This would intensify into a cyclonic storm on December 3 and reach north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh on the morning of December 4, the weather department added.
Drains to drones were readied in Chennai as authorities had plenty of time to prepare for the rains with a delayed and weak start to the north east monsoon. After the DMK formed the government in May 2021, an additional 876.19 km of storm water drains have been constructed in Chennai. Drones have been deployed to cover 5,820 sq km of Chennai’s basin to identify the flow of water, inundation, lack of connectivity between drains in physically inaccessible areas for corrective measures.
The city corporation has deployed 16000 workers, 491 motors, and additionally 150 tractor borne motors across the city. Except for one, all subways were open to traffic on Thursday, the civic body said.
Saving Chennai from flooding is a matter of serious politics for chief minister MK Stalin who was in the civic headquarters at the Ripon buildings on Thursday monitoring mitigation work. Stalin instructed officials and elected representatives to visit their localities to take up relief work. The chief minister also responded to emergency calls received at the control centre in the civic headquarters.
T Nagar –which is usually severely affected– received 12 cm of rainfall, said Chennai Mayor R Priya. “Corporation employees worked all night to drain out the water,” the Mayor said. “We are attending to all the complaints from the public zone wise and rectifying the issues. There is no major complaint of rainwater mixing with sewage water.”
Chennai’s corporation commission J Radhakrishnan also said that only selected localities were inundated.”Except for selected areas, the water is draining completely in the majority of the places,” he said. “The chief minister has been monitoring the situation. We have put 15 IAS officers across the city. Water is receding rapidly. We faced challenges in some parts in Korattur, Ambattur and Anna Nagar, but it has been rectified.”
Weather department have forecast heavy rainfall for Chennai and other districts up to December 5. The Indian Meteorological has issued an orange alert for Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry which is likely to receive rainfall ranging between 115 up to 204 mm between December 2 and 3.
