Heavy rain batters Tamil Nadu overnight, schools shut, several trains cancelled
Heavy rainfall battered southern Tamil Nadu late on Sunday and continued early on Monday as a red alert was sounded for four districts –Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi.
The weather office said a cyclonic circulation currently lies over the Comorin area and its neighbourhood, extending up to mid-tropospheric levels.
The four districts received heavy rainfall on Sunday, leading to waterlogging in several areas. The inclement weather resulted in all educational institutions shutting down on Monday. Several trains were either fully cancelled or partially cancelled as the floodwater entered train yards and submerged rail tracks.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Thiruchendur in Tuticorin district recorded a whopping 606 mm of rainfall till 1:30 am on Monday. Since Saturday (December 16), light to moderate rainfall has been recorded in most places of southern Tamil Nadu.
GOVERNMENT TAKES ACTION
In response to the heavy rainfall, the Tamil Nadu government sent ministers to the four affected districts to carry out relief work and ensure that precautionary measures were being taken to deal with any flood warnings.
The state government also appointed four senior IAS officers to speed up relief work in the four districts and coordinate with all departments, according to news agency PTI. Four other officials have also been deputed for related work.
Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena held a meeting on Sunday with the district collectors of the four districts over video conferencing. He asked them to take appropriate preventive steps to tackle the situation.
Three teams of state disaster management teams have been deployed in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli.
People residing in low-lying areas and those who live near reservoirs have been issued advisories. Private companies have also been asked to function only with essential staff.
Surplus water is being released from Pechiparai, Perunjani and Papanasam dams and alert messages (SMS) have been sent to over two lakh people in the affected districts.
TRAINS CANCELLED
The torrential rainfall in the state has affected rail services after rainwater flooded the tracks and railway yards. Several trains have been cancelled while some of them were partially cancelled.
The trains which were cancelled were:
Train No. 06673 Tirunelveli–Tiruchendur Unreserved Special
Train No. 06405 Tiruchendur–Tirunelveli Unreserved Special
Train No. 06674 Tiruchendur–Tirunelveli Unreserved Special
Train No. 06675 Tirunelveli–Tiruchendur Unreserved Special
Train No. 20666 Tirunelveli–Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express
Train No. 20665 Chennai Egmore–Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express
Train No. 19577 Tirunelveli–Jamnagar Express
Train No. 16732 Tiruchendur–Palakkad Express
Train No. 06848 Vanchi Maniyachi–Tuticorin Unreserved Special
Train No. 06671 Tuticorin–Vanchi Maniyachi Unreserved Special
Train No. 06668 Tirunelveli–Tuticorin Unreserved Special
Train No. 06667 Tuticorin–Tirunelveli Unreserved Special
The list of partially cancelled trains includes those which began their journey on Sunday but had to be terminated due to flooding in yards and waterlogging on tracks.
Train No. 20606 Tiruchendur–Chennai Egmore Express is partially cancelled between Srivaikuntam and Chennai, Egmore.
Train No. 20605 Chennai Egmore–Tiruchendur Express is partially cancelled between Tirunelveli and Tiruchendur. It will be short-terminated at Tirunelveli.
Train No. 06672 Vanchi Maniyachi–Tuticorin Unreserved Special is partially cancelled between Tuti Melur Halt and Tuticorin.
Train No. 06847 Tuticorin–Vanchi Maniyachi Unreserved Special is partially cancelled between Tuticorin and Milavitan.
Train No. 12693 Chennai Egmore–Tuticorin Pearl City Express is partially cancelled between Kovilpati and Tuticorin
RELIEF CAMPS SET UP, FOOD SERVED
State Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said 250 State Disaster Response Forces and National Disaster Response Forces have been deployed in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thootukudi and Tenkasi districts.
“As a precautionary measure, 19 camps have been set up in Tirunelveli district, four camps in Kanyakumari district, two camps in Thoothukudi district and one camp in Tenkasi district to accommodate the people evacuated during calamities,” he said.
“The Chief Minister has directed us to be on the spot and take necessary measures to ensure people’s safety,” the minister added.
Food was being served to the evacuated people in these relief camps set up by the state government.