Current affairs

Watch: Chennai prepares for another round of heavy downpour...Red Alert issued as more rain on the way!

By alagu, 18 November, 2021
Chennai, Heavy rains, Tamilnadu

Chennai, for a second time in a fortnight, is bracing up for another spell of heavy rainfall and for another episode of disruption as the city and its adjacent districts have been issued with red alert and several establishments were close in wake of the incessant downpour. The city had recorded a moderate rainfall on Wednesday and it is predicted that the rainfall will intensify on Thursday evening to heavy to very heavy rainfall as the low-pressure system is approaching the Tamil Nadu coast. 

For Chennaiites and for people in several parts of the state, November was not kind enough by bringing back-to-back events of rainfall, which triggered massive disruption for normal lives. Chennai has been in a flood-like situation with several parts were inundated in the rainfall last week. Amid a recovery towards normalcy, here comes another episode of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. Since the morning hours of Thursday - November 18, the city has been blanketed with rainy clouds, promising more downpour on the way. 

As the low-pressure system, that was formed earlier this week over the south Andaman sea, has been nearing the coast of Tamil Nadu, more rains will be recorded on Thursday evening. Greater Chennai Corporation is ready to address the heavy rainfall in the city. Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said that the civic body is prepared with personnel and machinery. "We have opened 15 lines of 1913 helpline", he added. 

A red alert warning has been spelt for six districts - Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Villupuram, and Cuddalore till Friday morning. A similar alert has also been issued to Puducherry and the meteorological centre has said that the low pressure will get intensified into depression in the next 12 hours and the system was seen 340 kilometres southwest from Chennai on Thursday morning and more it nears the coast, more the rainfall would be. Since Thursday morning, Chennai waters were seen in turbulence and fishermen near the coast are advised not to venture into the sea. 

The civic body has said that the maximum number of pumps have been deployed in Tondiarpet, Madhavaram, Kodambakkam, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, and Perungudi to drain water. On Wednesday, Nungambakkam has recorded 12.5mm rain, Ennore had recorded 4mm, and Meenambakkam had recorded 9mm between 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The corporation has asked residents to stock up supplies and essential items for the next two days in the wake of heavy rainfall warnings. Schools and other educational institutions were declared holiday in several districts on Thursday and rainfall is expected to continue till November 21 in various parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikkal. 

 

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