Chennai Records Highest Rainfall Since 2015, Govt Announces 2-Day Holiday In 4 Districts

Chennai has recorded the highest rainfall since 2015 as incessant showers lashed the city causing inundation.

As vehicular traffic, bus and train services were hit, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday declared two-day holiday for schools and colleges in four districts-- Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu-- on Monday and Tuesday.

Though there was some delay in respect of a couple of flights, there was no major disruption in services, airport sources here said adding even passengers who arrived late due to showers were allowed to board.

Rain water -on runways- was pumped out by workers using heavy equipment and authorities are overseeing work aimed at ensuring normal services, sources added. Metrorail services were also not affected, an official said here.

There was a visible dip in state-run bus services, only fewer buses were operated in suburbs and train services were also affected.

Railway sources said the Basin Bridge yard here was flooded which led to disruption in routing trains, in and out of the Chennai Central Railway Station and a long distance train from Tiruvananthapuram had to be halted at Tirunindravur in the northern suburb.
Suburban train services in the Tambaram-Beach line was affected for sometime as railway tracks were covered by sheets of water.

Rainwater is being pumped out in affected areas, railway sources said.

An official release meanwhile said "Dr MGR Chennai Central-Mangalore Express Special scheduled to leave at 4.20 PM on Sunday is rescheduled to leave at 7.30 PM" due to late running of pairing train, of about 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Another train, bound for Jaipur would leave at 8.30 PM instead of 5.40 PM, the release said.
There were traffic diversions due to water logging and uprooted trees in several locations including the arterial EVR Salai, and subways witnessed inundation upto a height of several feet.

Police said the traffic movement is slow in view of water logging and advised the people to be cautious.

Several people said they found it difficult to get cabs or autorickshaws while some said drivers working for cab aggregators declined acceptance for travel.

Motorcycles, scooters and autorickshaws could be spotted stranded in many locations.
Civic and Public Works Department personnel worked to pump water out in inundated areas and also placed sandbags in locations including the Anna Nagar Peripheral Hospital campus.

In view of increase in showers in catchment areas, surplus water was released from Poondi reservoir, which was raised in a phased manner up to 3,376 cusecs of water, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority said in a tweet.

Similarly, Chembarambakkam and Puzhal reservoirs, two other important sources of drinking water to the Chennai city were opened to let out surplus rain water, water resources authorities here said adding the initial release -from both the facilities- was to the tune of about 500 cusecs.

Four teams of National Disaster Response Force have been deployed to assist in rescue operations in case of emergency. One team each in Chengalpet and Tiruvallur and two teams at Madurai are stationed for rescue operations, the TNSDMA said.

(With PTI inputs)