Chennai rain: Holiday declared for schools, colleges and offices in these districts

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu govt on Tuesday declared a holiday for schools, colleges, govt offices and public sector undertakings in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet districts due to very heavy rain forecasts on Wednesday.

Essential services such as police, fire and rescue, municipal administration, water supply, dairy development, electricity, hospitals, pharmacies, banks, financial institutions, transport of vegetables and other essential commodities, MTC, metro rail, MRTS, airport, air traffic, fuel pumps, hotels and restaurants will function as usual.

"Private offices in Chennai are asked to advise employees to work from home or engage minimal staff," said an official release.

The meteorology department has forecast heavy to very heavy rain for several districts including Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Cuddalore, Villupuram and others. Specific forecasts include heavy rain on Wednesday in regions like Tiruvallur and Chennai. On Thursday, Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts will likely receive heavy to very heavy rain.

The state govt deployed 16 teams of SDRF along with 10 teams of NDRF for rescue operations. Additionally, 89 boats were positioned for rescuing people in Chennai. The administration set up 5,147 relief camps across the state, with 300 of these camps located in Chennai to accommodate people from low-lying areas.

Precautionary messages were sent to 85 lakh mobile phones through a common alerting protocol, the release said.

Since Oct 1, Tamil Nadu has recorded 10.52 cm of rainfall, which is a 68% departure from the average rainfall.

Within the last 24 hours, the state recorded 2.241 cm of rainfall, with Kudimiyanmalai in Pudukottai recording the highest at 13.4 cm. Chennai recorded an average rainfall of 6.5 cm.

Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur recorded 10 cm, Malar Colony in Anna Nagar zone recorded 8 cm, and Kolathur zone recorded 9 cm.

A relief camp in Namakkal accommodated 32 people and distributed food to 96 others.

Chief minister M K Stalin inspected flood relief work by the Greater Chennai Corporation in locations such as Otteri Nullah and Buckingham Canal. During his inspection in Pulianthope, he engaged with frontline workers, visited a nearby tea shop with them and distributed tea and biscuits to conservancy staff.

Deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin announced that 13,000 volunteers in Chennai and 65,000 volunteers across Tamil Nadu were on standby for flood relief efforts.

"If necessary, the volunteers from other parts will be brought to Chennai to take up flood relief work,” he said, after reviewing the preparedness at the state emergency operations centre.

Udhayanidhi urged private IT firms to allow their employees to work from home in the next two days due to the heavy rain forecast.