Several districts across Tamil Nadu are preparing rescue and relief plans as the northeast monsoon intensifies amid its early onset, officials said. There is a possibility of a cyclone developing, the weather office said. The regional office on Tuesday issued a heavy rainfall alert, and Chief Minister MK Stalin reviewed the precautionary measures.
The weather office forecast extremely heavy rain in four districts of Tamil Nadu tomorrow – Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore and Mayiladuthurai.
A red alert has been issued for at least eight districts in the coastal state – Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram. Schools and colleges in four districts will remain shut. The state capital Chennai is under the ‘orange alert’ category so far.
A ‘red alert’ indicates extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an ‘orange alert’ means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm.
Neighbouring Puducherry, too, is making arrangements to put into action rescue and relief plans if the need arises. It has announced a holiday for schools and colleges on Wednesday.
The situation developed due to a low-pressure area forming over the Bay of Bengal, according to B Amudha, Director of Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai. This low-pressure area is approximately 400 km from the Chennai coast, Amudha said, adding it could intensify into a potential cyclone.
“By noon tomorrow, there is a possibility that the system will strengthen into a depression. This is expected to occur off the coasts of north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh,” Amudha told reporters on Tuesday.
‘Depression’ in the context of weather is the stage that comes after the formation of a low-pressure system. However, whether a cyclone would develop can be determined with some certainty only if the low-pressure area changes drastically.
“Right now, the system that was a deep low-pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea on October 20 is persisting with the same intensity,” Amudha said.
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Other cities in Tamil Nadu put under the ‘orange alert’ list include Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said.
“Chennai recorded an average of 60 mm rain today, with a high of 100 mm in Medavakkam,” Amudha said.
Overall, between October 1 and 21, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karikal reported at least 160 mm rainfall, which was 59 per cent higher than the normal average of 100 mm for this period, the RMC director said.
Water Released From Dam
At least 100 cusecs of water is being released from Chembarambakkam reservoir in Kanchipuram district. This was done to ensure Chennai is safe from flooding amid heavy rain. Ranipet and Vellore districts reported very heavy rain and is likely to intensify tomorrow.
Vellore residents have raised concerns over sewage getting mixed with rainwater. Some houses in low-lying areas of Alagiri colony at Tiruvarur district are already flooded.
She asked fishermen not to sail out into the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and South Andaman Sea from October 23 to 26 as squally winds reaching up to 65 kmph are expected.
The state government in a statement said monitoring officers will coordinate all urgent work in the districts likely to be affected, including Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallore in north Tamil Nadu, besides those in the delta region such as Thanjavur and Tiruvarur.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also inspected infrastructure development and renovation projects in the south Chennai area to improve the waterways so that a large volume of floodwater can easily flow into the sea.
Heavy rain in and around Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district for the last two days has affected thousands of acres of paddy crop harvesting, farmers said. “Fields are still standing with ripe paddy. If it continues to rain, farmers here will be affected. One thing the government can do to relieve our burden is enable door-step procurement of rice as soon as we finish harvesting,” Subramaniam, a farmer from Kakanallur village, told news agency PTI.
He said paddy crops that some managed to harvest could not be collected due to the early onset of the northeast monsoon.