Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin takes stock of situation, as northeast monsoon intensifies

Chennai: With heavy rains lashing the coastal and interior districts of Tamil Nadu, forcing the authorities in many districts to declare a holiday for schools, Chief Minister M K Stalin took stock of the situation on Tuesday. The sky over Chennai opened up during the first heavy spell of the North-East Monsoon in the state.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the possibility of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall in the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal on November 14.

A low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours due to an upper air cyclonic circulation over the southwest Bay of Bengal and over the South Andaman Sea, the IMD added.

It is likely to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over west-central Bay of Bengal around November 16.

The continuous rain that battered the districts forced authorities to declare a holiday for schools in Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Cuddalore districts on Tuesday.

Schools in Chennai will be shut on November 15 owing to rains. At least 15 districts including Chennai came under a heavy spell today, the weather office said.

Meanwhile, normal life was affected in Puducherry today due to heavy rains. Roads presented a near vacant look with only a few vehicles plying.

Puducherry Home Minister A Namassivayam said that all schools and colleges will be closed in Puducherry and Karaikal regions today because of squally weather and intermittent rains.

Official sources said that the Puducherry region recorded nearly 12 cm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the Department of Fisheries and Fishermen's Welfare of Puducherry in a release said that fishers were asked not to venture into the sea for two days from today because of stormy weather.

The IMD has also issued an advisory in this regard, the spokesperson said.

In Chennai, Deputy Director General of the Regional Meteorological Centre S Balachandran said the coastal districts and some interior districts would continue to receive heavy rainfall in the next two days.

Chennai and its suburbs would get moderate to heavy rainfall in the next couple of days, he told reporters here.

"From October 1 till date, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal region received 23 cm rainfall, which is 14 per cent less than the normal rainfall during the North-East Monsoon (NEM) period. Despite this, it can be said the region received near normal rainfall," Balachandran said.

State Revenue Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said the official machinery is geared up to meet any emergency during the NEM period and the district collectors have been told to remain vigilant.

"About 121 multipurpose shelters have been set up and 4,967 relief camps have been readied," Ramachandran told reporters after chairing a meeting with officials here.

As many as 35 of Tamil Nadu's 38 districts received 13.25 mm rainfall till 8.20 am today while Nagapattinam recorded a maximum of 11.3 mm rainfall. Among the districts, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, and Mayiladuthurai received excessive rain, he said.

As the North East Monsoon intensified fetching sharp showers across Tamil Nadu, the CM took stock of the situation and interacted with the officials on their preparedness.

He visited the State Emergency Operations Centre at Ezhilagam in Chepauk, here, and interacted with the district collectors of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, too, on the precautionary measures in force through video conference.

Stalin directed the collectors to ensure adequate civic amenities at the relief camps established to temporarily accommodate the people during inundation, an official release here said.

Apart from Revenue Minister, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena, Additional Chief Secretary Commissioner for Revenue Administration S K Prabhakar, Additional Chief Secretary M Muruganandam, Director of Disaster Management S A Raman, and other officials participated.