On Wednesday, i.e., October 16, the Tamil Nadu government declared a holiday for schools and institutions in four northern districts, including Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, and Chengelpet, as heavy rains fell over the state, according to news agency PTI.
The Chief Minister’s Office reported, “Under its influence, isolated extremely heavy rainfall is very likely over Tamil Nadu on 16th October. Given the above, the Government has decided to declare a Public Holiday tomorrow.”
On Wednesday, all government offices in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Chengalpet, and Kancheepuram would be closed, including those of public undertakings, corporations, and boards. The transportation of vegetables, goods, and other necessities, the police, fire department, local authorities, milk and water supplies, hospitals and medical shops, banks, financial institutions, power supply, transportation, MTC, MRTS, CMRL, railways, airports, airlines, port services, export and import organisations, fuel outlets, hotels and restaurants, and all offices involved in disaster response, relief, and rescue operations, will all continue to operate normally.
The Chief Minister’s Office also adds, “All shops and other commercial establishments shall function as usual.”
On Tuesday, Chennai and other parts of the state experienced widespread, intermittent rain, resulting in knee-deep flooding in roadways near many residential neighbourhoods.
Residents of the flood-prone Ram Nagar in Madippakkam placed their cars on the nearby Velachery bridge as a precaution.
Over 300 areas in Chennai reported flooding, which disrupted public transit services. To clear the waterlogging, officials used heavy-duty pumps.
So far, no unpleasant rain-related incidents have been reported, with the exception of a wall fall occurrence that resulted in injuries. The state administration has put emergency response teams with nearly 200 boats on standby in many sensitive areas.
Over 931 relief centres have been established in the districts of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengelpet, and Kancheepuram, with IAS officers monitoring the situation around the clock. Four express trains, including the Chennai Central-Mysuru Kaveri Express, have been cancelled, according to the Southern Railway.
Avadi, a few stations away from the Chennai Central Railway station, became the new origin point for a number of the trains that were diverted. At the Chennai airport, a number of domestic flights were cancelled.
