CHENNAI: Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin announced on Tuesday that Sivaganga district recorded the highest rainfall in the state over the past 24 hours, measuring 13.5 cm, while Virudhunagar district received 7 cm. He assured reporters that there were no significant issues in these districts and that the situation remained under control.
Speaking after reviewing the rain situation across the state, particularly in Chennai and its surrounding districts, at the State Emergency Operations Centre, the Deputy CM noted, “During the past 24 hours, within the Chennai Corporation limits, Shozhinganallur received the highest rainfall of 6.2 cm, while Teynampet recorded 6.1 cm of rain.”
CM Stalin reported that eight trees had fallen due to strong winds, but their removal would be completed within a few hours. He confirmed that a total of 300 relief camps are prepared to shelter those affected by the rain, along with 35 common kitchens ready to provide food.
“Of the 22 subways in Chennai, there is no water stagnation in 20 subways, and traffic flow is normal. Only two subways, at Ganesapuram and Perambur, have been temporarily closed. If the rain stops for an hour, the water stagnation will be removed in these two subways. Stagnated water is being removed in over 300 locations,” he explained.
The Deputy CM also stated that there had been no power cuts in Chennai during the past 24 hours. In the last 12 hours, the control room in Chennai Corporation received 1,500 complaints, of which 600 have been resolved.
In the districts surrounding Chennai, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have established 26 centres, and so far, 24 teams have reached other districts.
In Chennai, 89 boats have been deployed, while 139 boats are available in other districts to assist the rain-affected populations. Additionally, there are 300 relief centres in Chennai and 631 in the surrounding districts.
The State Health Department has set up 1,000 medical camps across the state, including 100 camps in Chennai. The Deputy CM noted that 13,000 volunteers have been identified in Chennai and 65,000 at the state level. “If needed, volunteers from other districts will be brought to Chennai to carry out flood-related work,” he added.
Responding to a question regarding telephone network issues, Commissioner of Revenue Administration Rajesh Lakhoni stated, “The representatives of telecom companies are camping at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Ezhilagam to resolve any network issues.” Udhayanidhi added, “So far, there are no complaints about network issues in Chennai.”
Regarding some IT companies not heeding the Chief Minister's advice to allow employees to work from home, the Minister said, “The government will reiterate this today. The Chief Minister will announce the decision about declaring holidays for schools in the coming days by this evening.”