CHENNAI: Several parts of the State continued to receive rain due to the active northeast monsoon, sharply raising reservoir levels.
Roads in several areas, including Avadi, T Nagar, Velachery, and Old Washermenpet in Chennai, were heavily riddled with potholes, and heavy rain stalled infrastructure work. This has forced the suspension of MTC bus routes in parts like Secretariat Colony. General moderate rainfall is expected over the next two days in Chennai and its neighbourhood, with potential for heavy downpour on October 24 and 25.
The combined storage of Chennai’s core reservoirs — six primary reservoirs supplying drinking water to Chennai (including Red Hills, Chembarambakkam, and Cholavaram) — has risen rapidly to 37 per cent capacity following the initial heavy spells.
The water level in the Vaigai dam has risen steadily to 44.88 feet (up from 43 feet last week) due to robust inflows, while the storage in Mullaperiyar dam reached 116.90 feet; in Papanasam dam, the level climbed to 48 feet over the past week, and Perunchani dam saw the storage increase to 44.35 feet.
The IMD predicted moderate to heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry until October 26.
Heavy overnight rain inundated parts of Chennai and many southern districts, with Sankarankoil reeling under significant waterlogging.
Persistent heavy rainfall in Kanniyakumari district affected the Kollengode municipality area. Floodwaters entered many homes, leaving residents struggling to leave their properties. Vehicles and essential household goods have been submerged or damaged.
Civic officials are working to clear inundated areas and are also checking local drainage systems for blockages that may be worsening the flooding, an official said on Thursday.
After heavy, incessant rainfall with thunder and lightning last night, the Kanniyakumari district administration has declared a holiday for schools today. Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts have already announced a rain holiday. The IMD has warned of light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning likely at isolated places over Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Erode, Namakkal, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore, and Thanjavur districts.
In Madurai, heavy rain has completely submerged over 140 acres of freshly planted paddy fields in villages, and farmers say the lack of desilted irrigation canals is causing standing crops to rot, prompting calls for state crop compensation.
In some Cauvery Delta districts, farmers noted the initial spells were still sporadic and inadequate to fully sustain the samba paddy crop.
As the northeast monsoon intensified, inflows to primary drinking water sources and irrigation dams rose significantly. Speaking on the current weather status, an official said the low-pressure area has remained active over the southwest Bay of Bengal and the adjoining Tamil Nadu coast since the evening of October 21.
Moderate rainfall is expected in Chennai and its neighbourhood over the next two days, with the possibility of heavy downpour on October 24 and 25