Low pressure weakens, rains abate, woes continue

Chennai : After five days of pounding under the influence of a depression over the bay of bengal, rains abated in Chennai city and its neighbouring districts, but woes continued as several areas were still marooned.

Met office sources on Friday said the depression over North coastal Tamil Nadu weakened into a well marked low pressure over North Tamil Nadu and neighbourhood.

An associated weak convection lays over North Tamil Nadu and neighbourhood.

As the depression crossed the coast near Chennai last night, the met office has withdrawn the red alert issued to Chennai and other districts, while forecasting heavy rains for the next 24 hrs.

Schools and colleges were declared a holiday for the fifth successive day today in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpet districts in view of the water logging.

In a bid to prevent outbreak of any pandemic, Chief Minister M K Stalin today inaugurated special medical camps in all the 200 wards of Chennai city, despite concerns over COVID as thousands of people thronged the shops for the just concluded diwali festival.

Meanwhile, a fresh low pressure area is likely to form over south Andaman sea and neighbouring areas tomorrow. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and become more marked during the subsequent 48 hours.

As the rains abated since last evening after five days of battering and gloomy weather, people woke up to bright sunshine.

The sun came out blazing, but it played hide and seek as thick clouds on the horizon came in the way.

While people got the much-needed respite from the rains, their woes continued as several areas and households in the city and suburbs were still marooned.

Adding to their woes was disruption in power supply, which has not yet been resumed even after two days, due to water logging in several areas.

The Greater Chennai Corporation authorities used fibre boats to rescue people from marooned areas and also distributed essentials like food, grocery and medicine using the boats in some parts of the city and suburbs.

Civic authorities were continuously working to pump out water from the low lying areas and from seven subways, which remained closed for the third successive day.

Police sources said water logging was reported in 23 roads across the city and traffic was diverted in several places.

Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran, who has been constantly updating the media for the last five days on the relief and rescue operations taken by the DMK government, said 14 people have died in rain-related incidents in the State.

He also said financial assistance would be given to the families of the deceased.

Meanwhile, reports from the Cauvery delta region said standing crops in thousands of acres were submerged/damaged in rains and farmers urged the government to provide compensation.

Chief Minister M K Stalin, who had been reviewing the flood situation in the state on a daily basis and visited the rain-hit areas, has formed a six-member Ministerial team headed by Co-Operation Minister I.Periyasamy to immediately asses the crop damages in delta districts and submit a report to the government.