NEW DELHI, Dec 4
At least five people died in rain-related incidents in Chennai on Monday as heavy rain triggered by Cyclone Michaung pounded the city, leaving large parts of it submerged.
According to the Chennai Corporation, thousands of people were evacuated to government-run shelters, with at least 400 wedding halls made ready to house displaced families. The government has also declared public holidays on Monday and Tuesday in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Thiruvallur districts in view of the weather.
Moreover, 10 teams comprising 250 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the affected districts to conduct rescue operations. These teams have been actively involved in evacuating residents from inundated areas and providing relief.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Michaung, a severe cyclonic storm, is currently in the Bay of Bengal, off southern Andhra Pradesh and northern Tamil Nadu.
It is likely to intensify gradually and move northwards, crossing into the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh, between Nellore and Machilipatnam, before noon on Tuesday with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph, the IMD said.
On Monday, the Meenambakkam observatory of the IMD in Chennai recorded 25 cm of rain in 24 hours – the third highest rainfall for December in 73 years.
The Chennai Police said in a release on Monday that five people were found dead, including 50-year-old Padmanabhan from Dindigul district, who died of electrocution, 35-year-old Murugan from Besant Nagar, who died when a tree fell on him, and 70-year-old Ganesan from Thoraipakkam, who was electrocuted while walking down a road near his house. Police said two other unidentified bodies were recovered from different parts of the city.
The Chembarambakkam reservoir, which had been discharging excess water amid the heavy rain, escalated its discharge to 6,000 cusecs by noon on Monday. This necessitated immediate relocation for residents in the Adyar region’s low-lying areas. It was the unplanned opening of Chembarambakkam lake that had led to the devastating floods of 2015 that had left several dead in Chennai.
The rain also brought transportation largely to a standstill. Chennai Airport suspended all departure and arrival operations until 11 pm on Monday. Additionally, 33 flights were diverted to Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus services and suburban train services were also stopped in many areas. However, Chennai Metro services continued to function.
A video of a crocodile crossing a waterlogged road near Perungalathur, a suburban neighbourhood of Chennai, has gone viral on social media. Authorities have urged residents to exercise caution and avoid provoking these creatures, which have been displaced by the flooding.
Several residential neighbourhoods that have come up in suburban Chennai in recent years have been particularly hard hit by flooding. Videos circulated online showed dozens of cars floating on the roads in such areas.
