Rescue ops in full swing in 4 districts

Rescue and relief operations were underway in water logged areas in Chennai, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts which were the worst hit due to floods, while residents experienced much-needed relief as the sun shone for the second day on Tuesday with no rainfall recorded in the city.

Though the sky was overcast in the city since morning, the sun came out later. The city is limping back to normality after being battered by heavy rains and floods during the last week.

Cuddalore, which had received heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday last, witnessed severe inundation in various parts, prompting deployment of army for rescue operations and rehabilitation.

With water receding in most parts of rain-battered Chennai and its suburbs, the focus is now on clearing garbage that had piled up in various areas and rehabilitation of affected people.

The unprecedented deluge has caused unforeseen havoc and devastation to property, with flooded houses stinking after the water receded.

Resumption of auto-rickshaw services and public transport made people’s life easier after being completely crippled for the past six days.

A total of 1.38 million people are housed in 5,554 flood relief camps in Chennai, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts as of now.

Heavy rains, which battered the four districts located close to the sea over the past month leading to floods, have reportedly claimed over 250 lives and left millions stranded.

Though the Chennai airport was made functional from Monday, only limited services were operated against a normal landing and take-off of 320 flights a day. Only 52 flights left and reached Chennai, sources said.

Presently, Air India, IndiGo, Jet Airways and TrueJet have started domestic operations. Air India Express commenced international flights.

Reports said thousands of hectares of agricultural lands have been flooded in the recent rains in Cuddalore mounting huge loses to farmers.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued a warning that isolated heavy rain could occur over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next few days.

It said moderate to heavy rains are likely to occur at many places over Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari districts and Puducherry on Wednesday.

The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corportation (TANGEDCO) Limited has issued precautionary measures to be adopted by consumers to avoid electrical accidents in areas where power supply has been restored after the water has receded.