CHENNAI: Torrential rains caused by cyclonic storm ‘Nisha’ pounded Chennai for the second consecutive day on Thursday, throwing normal life out of gear and causing great inconvenience to people who had tried to set out of their homes. It also claimed at least five lives, including three of a family, and left three others injured.
Paulraj, 21, slipped and fell into a deep pit near the flyover, now under construction at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Perambur. Fire and Rescue service personnel managed to remove his body from the pit.
Two-year-old Srinivasan, son of Chinnaponnu, died after he fell into a drainage canal in the city.
At Ambedkar Colony in Adambakkam, three of a family died due to electrocution.
Saraswathi, 30, and her daughter Vinodhini, 8, came in contact with a ‘live’ cupboard and got electrocuted. Saraswathi’s husband Chandran, 33, too died wh ile trying to save the duo.
Bhasker, 56, a grocery shop owner on Pillayar Koil Street, Villivakkam, was grievously injured when the shop’s roof caved in due to the rains.
He was pulled out of the rubble by some neighbours and taken to the hospital.
In a similar case, Devi, 22, and Ganesan, 45, were injured when the brick wall and tile roof of a building collapsed on them at Jatkapuram.
The cyclone brought copious rains to the city and the suburbs. The roads went under water, causing massive traffic disruptions, besides leading to the flooding of many residential areas.
Over 30 villages between Kundrathur and Porur were submerged when the surplus water was let out of the Chembarambakkam reservoir in the morning to avoid breaches.
The rain lashed the city from mid-morning, inundating every arterial road, causing traffic chaos and leaving commuters, houses and buildings submerged in waist deep water. The water on Poonamallee High Road, one of the busiest roads in the city, had barely any time to clear when the skies opened up again.
While auto rickshaws and cars were often stranded, buses kept moving, helping people reach their destinations.
“The bus journey was dreadful. But the presence of mind of the driver was amazing as he negotiated the flooded streets and dropped off passengers at the right spots,” said a commuter.
The Chembarambakkam reservoir was opened at 9.30 am after the water touched the danger level of 21.03 feet, as against its full level of 22 feet. It has been witnessing an average inflow of 4,500 cusecs per second since the present spell of rains started.
The Poondi reservoir too crossed the danger mark. It has already touched 33 feet, while its total height is 35 feet. Public Works Department officials said water might be released late on Thursday night or early Friday morning from the Poondi, which is witnessing an inflow of more than 4,600 cusecs per second.
The Red Hills Lake has four more feet to go before it reaches the danger mark. It is currently witnessing an inflow of nearly 4,000 cusecs per second. If the rains continue, Red Hills too will be opened later on Friday or Saturday.
Areas on the banks of Cooum, Adyar River and Buckingham Canal have been put on alert and PWD officials are monitoring the embankments around the clock fearing sudden breeches.
Several tanks in Kancheepuram district, Seyur and Tiruninravur are overflowing affecting residential areas and farmlands in the surrounding areas. District officials are laying sand banks and carving embankments to let the water out.
Meanwhile, the storm is moving in the northwesterly direction and is currently located near Salem. Very heavy rainfall is expected on the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast and squally winds have made the coast extremely dangerous. Fishermen have been asked not to go to sea so until the storm abates.
Wind speed between 50-60 kmph swept the coast taking in its wake the roof tops and tiles, besides felling roadside trees.
Local Cautionary Signal Number three (LC III) was hoisted at Chennai, Ennore, Cuddalore, Puducherry, Nagapattinam, Pamban, Rameswaram and Tuticorin ports.
Around 20 domestic flights were delayed for more than an hour due to the rains on Thursday.