TN rains:14 dead,normal life crippled in Chennai

In Tamil Nadu, the death toll due to heavy rains has risen to 14. Educational institutions have been closed due to rains in many coastal districts. Subways in  Chennai have been closed, Suburban and metro trains have lessened their services. Trains and air services are delayed or canceled depending on the flooding and wind speeds. Draining the flood waters from Chennai remains a formidable challenge for the authorities as rain remains unrelenting. Chief minister MK Stalin has inspected several affected places in the state capital for the fifth day on Thursday. In 15 districts, schools and colleges remain closed while in five other districts schools are declared a holiday. Five senior ministers have been deputed to monitor the flood situation in the Cauvery Delta region where complaints are pouring in about inundation of hundreds of acres of paddy fields. The National Disaster Response Force has mobilized ten teams to be deployed in affected places in the state, including three teams for Chennai. The sea remains rough in areas that are in the vicinity of the Depression especially the northern coastal districts and the fishermen have stayed away from the seas. 

 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert, indicating heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, in parts of Tamil Nadu, including northern Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengelpet, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts, on Thursday.The depression over  Southwest Bay of Bengal moved west northwestwards and lay centered at about 300 km east southeast of Chennai and 280 km east southeast of Puducherry on Wednesday night. It is likely to continue to move west north westwards and cross North Tamilnadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Karaikal and Sriharikota close to the north of Puducherry by Thursday evening. The weather system is prevailing 130 kilometers east southeast of Chennai as observed this noon. The Meteorology Department has said heavy to very heavy rain is expected in Chennai and 14 other districts in the state and Puducherry while sporadic light showers will be witnessed in all the other districts.The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, and Kanyakumari are set to get heavy rain while other districts would experience light showers on Frisay.