Chennai: Schools and colleges to remain shut tomorrow as rain inundates city – Hindustan Times

Chennai News

As Chennai and its suburbs continued to grapple with inundation due to incessant downpour, schools and colleges will remain shut on Monday in the Tamil Nadu capital and 10 other districts.

With surplus water being released from reservoirs, a number of submerged roads and subways remained closed for traffic on Sunday. Traffic diversions were enforced at several places and barricades put up to caution road users.

There were also disruptions in the state-run local bus services, but suburban railway services were unhindered. Vehicles, mostly two-wheelers, were found stranded on a number of inundated stretches with reservoirs, including Poondi and Chembarambakkam that cater to the drinking water needs of Chennai, releasing over 10,500 cusecs of surplus water amid continuous rains in catchment areas.

The authorities said the release of surplus water from Poondi dam in Tiruvallur district was stepped up (from an initial 4,253 cusecs to about 8,000 cusecs) in a phased manner upto about 12,000 cusecs by evening.

As many as 54 inflatable boats were deployed in Chennai for rescue and relief work, besides excavators and heavy duty pumps being put to service. Police personnel helped shift affected residents from the flooded Perumbakkam-Ezhil Nagar suburb to a relief centre.

Officials said flood water was drained from a large number of localities and fallen trees were also removed.

Meanwhile, rain water entered several houses in low-lying areas off Urapakkam and Guduvancherry and electricity connection was switched off in such places.

The flood waters have brought insects and tadpoles into homes and vacant plots serve as breeding grounds, some residents said.

On Sunday, Chennai and suburbs that fall under Chengelpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts received heavy rains and over 2,000 people living in low-lying and flooded areas had yo be evacuated to temporary relief centres.

(With inputs from agencies)

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