Large manufacturing units in and around Chennai adopted a cautious approach on Friday after Thursday’s downpour. Industrial activity remained largely unaffected.

Daimler India decided to shut its units in Chennai and Oragadam.

With the floods of December 2015 not out of their minds, industries took care to make provision for extended rain. Employees coming from afar were allowed to take the day off if they could not commute to work as roads were flooded and public transport was sparse.

The heavy rain over the past few days caused flooding and power outages in several parts of Chennai. However, manufacturing and industrial corridors such as Oragadam and Sriperumbudur remained unaffected. It was business as usual for most big units such as Hyundai, Renault-Nissan, Ford, Royal Enfield and Apollo Tyres.

“There was no disruption in our operations. As a precaution, the company had made some stay arrangements close to the facility, and handed over food packets to the employees exiting the premises in some shifts, said a spokesperson of Apollo Tyres.

Hyundai and Renault-Nissan officials confirmed that their plants were running.

However, a few factories suspended operations on Friday. The State government also urged private establishments to announce a day off due to the heavy downpour.

In the petrochemical industrial belt at Manali, to the north of Chennai, despite the flooding, continuous process units managed to sustain operations. Only workers who come from afar were unable to report for work, said a representative of Chemical Industries Association.

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