CHENNAI: With the depression crossing north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra near Chennai on Thursday evening, rains have moved away from the State, but not before leaving a trail of destruction. Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said 14 people had died in rain-related incidents in recent days in TN. The bereaved kin will receive Rs 4 lakh each as financial assistance within a week, he assured.
As standing samba crop in 1.45 lakh acres in delta districts have been inundated, Chief Minister MK Stalin, who reviewed the situation, constituted a team of ministers — I Periyasamy, Thangam Thennarasu, KR Periyakaruppan S Reghupathy, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, and Siva V Meyyanathan — to assess the crop losses. Farmers who lost over 33 per cent of their crops will get relief.
According the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the depression crossed the coast from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph. Heavy rains over the State will decrease from Friday as the system moves towards Andhra. Some rainfall activity will be seen over Vellore, Ranipet, the Nilgiris, Coimbatore and Kanniyakumari district for the next two days, while Chennai will get a breather.
In the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Thursday, Tambaram received the highest rainfall in the State with 23 cm followed by Cholavaram in Tiruvallur with 22 cm, Ennore 21 cm and Chennai’s Nungambakkam 16 cm. Many stations in TN recorded rains in excess of 15 cm. During the day, however, Chennai received only 6 cm.
As the northeast monsoon has been extremely active, weather blogger Pradeep John tweeted that the all-time record for November rainfall in Chennai is under threat as Nungambakkam has already registered a whopping 736.6 mm of rainfall this month. The official record, as per IMD, is 1,088 mm in 1918 for the entire month. “Only four times has 1,000 mm been breached by Chennai in a month in the last 200 years,” he said.
Weather watch
A quick glance of the developments in the State after recent rains
1.4L acres of standing crop inundated in delta. Team to assess losses
33% crop loss of farmers will get them relief
48 boats have been sent to Chennai corporation for rescue works
185 relief camps functioning for rain-affected persons
10,073 persons given shelter In 15 districts in the State
44 camps in Chennai
26.5 lakh food packets distributed
523 places are water-logged In Chennai
230 trees removed