Chennai: After some days of respite, a fresh downpour on Tuesday crippled life here, flooding numerous roads and neighbourhoods and causing traffic jams and power cuts, residents said.
Trains were delayed and some were cancelled as authorities struggled to cope with the aftereffects of the fresh torrential rains in the Tamil Nadu capital.
The weather department has warned of heavy rains in Chennai and northern Tamil Nadu over the next three days. The government has declared a holiday for schools in Chennai and neighbouring Kanchipuram district.
In this Nov.17, 2015 file photo, an Indian Navy helicopter drops food packets to people surrounded by floodwaters following heavy rains in Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India. Weeks of torrential rains have forced an airport in southern India to close and have cut off several roads and highways, leaving tens of thousands of people stranded in their homes, government officials said Wednesday, December 2, 2015. (AP)
A flood alert has been issued along the banks of Adyar river here.
During the last spell of rains, around 180 people lost their lives in the four districts of Chennai, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore and Thiruvallur.
Big sink holes on several roads in Chennai forced the authorities to divert the vehicular flow.
Water logging on the suburban railway tracks forced the authorities to cancel some services while many trains ran behind schedule.
An Indian labourer pushes his cycle trishaw through floodwaters in Chennai on December 1, 2015, during a downpour of heavy rain in the southern Indian city. Heavy rains pounded several parts of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and inundating most areas of Chennai, severely disrupting flights, train and bus services and forcing the postponment of half-yearly school exams. (AFP)
Southern Railways cancelled 12 trains and diverted 15 more.
According to reports, three lakes in Kanchipuram district were breached due to heavy rains and inflows.
Hardship
Steady and continuous rains throughout the night kept people in Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai awake due to concerns over the rising water levels, residents said.
"Water came into our apartment and we had to shift to our neighbour's house on the first floor," Revathi Vasan, resident of west Mambalam, told IANS on Wednesday.
Another family living on the ground floor has also shifted with us, Revathi said.
"There is waist deep water level around our apartment," she added. West Mambalam is located in the heart of the city.
In suburban areas flooding was severe with water levels covering the ground floor and threatening to enter the first floor.
People living at higher levels were opening up their doors to help the strangers.
"The situation was bad and the water level was increasing," Jenson, resident of Sunambu Kolathur of Kanchipuram district told IANS.
Even market areas like Anna Nagar in the city could not escape from flooding. In many areas people made shift boats by tying up empty barrels to reach safer places.
The airport was closed Tuesday night, and could not start operations due to water logging in the runway.
Stranded passengers
Several passengers were stranded at the airport, railway and bus stations. There was no power supply in many areas of Chennai, and mobile phone services were also affected due to the rains.
Meanwhile hotels were getting frantic calls from residents and stranded passengers for accommodation.
"We have couple of families staying with us as they were affected by water logging," a hotel official told IANS.
"In Villivakkam area the water level was up to my chest. I had to wade through the water for couple of kms and then catch a bus to my work place in Teynampet," Suresh who works with a private sector company said.
It was raining opportunity for taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers who were charging sky high rates to ply short distances.
A taxi driver charged Rs.4,500 to transport three persons from airport to a hotel in Anna Salai.
Meanwhile, army and navy teams were called to carry out rescue efforts. Schools and colleges were closed in the city.
'Unprecedented'
The unprecedented torrential rains, which was recorded heaviest in the past 100 years, has battered Tamil Nadu's northern districts such as Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Cuddalore, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said while speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.
Jayalalithaa told Modi that the state machinery was geared up to tackle the challenges.
The state has deployed Disaster Response Force, fire and rescue service personnel and coastal security group at the affected places.
The rains stopped on Wednesday morning and provided some respite to the people, but the weather office has forecast heavy rains for next three days.
During the last spell of rains, around 180 people lost their lives in the four district of Chennai, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore and Thiruvallur.
Union Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday that the torrential rains has caused "an unheard of and unprecedented" situation.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he said Home Minister Rajnath Singh would hold a meeting on the Chennai floods to discuss rescue and relief measures.
"We are very concerned and are with the people. We need the army to help the people in Chennai to shift them to safer places," he added.
