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Chennai
The day-long rain left Chennai struggling as water-logging was reported in many parts of the city, especially in the suburbs, forcing people to stay indoors. The roads were empty with very few vehicles plying. Access to some of the metro stations was disrupted due to water-logging. However, there was no disruption in work at the Ambattur Industrial Estate.
Due to panic-buying since Monday afternoon, the grocery shops and supermarkets ran out of essential items like bread, biscuits, butter and curd. Even in the e-commerce apps like Swiggy’s Instamart and BigBasket, these items ran out of stock quickly.
Greater Chennai Corporation staff pumping out water from stagnated streets | Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh
Some of the flood-affected areas included parts of IT corridor (Old Mahabalipuram Road) and heart of the city like Velachery, Taramani and Guindy. Water entered the houses of low lying residences in Taramani. Many firms allowed their employees to work from home.
Rajesh, a resident of Velachery said, on Monday the city received just 4-5 cm of rain, and on Tuesday another 6-7 cm. The city is badly set up to handle rain, he added.
Boats being moved to low lying areas for rescue operations in Chennai. | Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh
The State government machinery has been active since Monday evening ensuring that the streets are free of water-logging. Nearly 80 boats from Foreshore Estate were shifted to low lying areas in Chennai as a precautionary measure to rescue people in case of flooding. Despite all the measures, the city struggled to handle the rains.
Commuters had a tough time navigating through a water-logged T Nagar
People with vehicles wade through rainwater in Chennai
Greater Chennai Corporation staff pumping out water from stagnated streets
GCC team dug up roads in low lying areas to drain stagnant water
Boats being moved to low lying areas for rescue operations in Chennai.
Business as usual
It was business as usual in units at the Ambattur Industrial Estate. Rains have not been very heavy today. A red alert has been issued for Wednesday. Keeping fingers crossed, said an official.
GCC team dug up roads in low lying areas to drain stagnant water | Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh
Global Capability Centres and Chennai Auto Auto Ancillary Industrial Infrastructure Up-gradation Company have taken adequate steps to Drain the rain water, he added.
Luckily water has not entered most factories as yet and power is available. But if rain continues the water level on the roads go up and water will enter the factories, said an official of another manufacturing unit.
“As the monsoon sets in, flooding in low lying areas comes to our mind. Last year during floods not only the common man but many industrial units lost their property. Knowing this the government has been preparing well and has been proactive with their flood mitigation measures, the results are seen with very few roads inundated,” Milan Wahi, Chairman, CII Chennai Zone and Managing Director, Lotte India Corporation Ltd.
“I am sure the coming months will prove beneficial for industries as they will be better informed and planned despite the rains causing havoc,” he added.
Meenu Singhal- Socomec Regional MD, Socomec Greater India, a specialist in in Low Voltage (LV) Power Switching, Monitoring, and Power Conversion products, advised companies that the first step to take in times of crisis was to make a backup of important data. Heavy rains and flooding can impact the working of the UPS and other electrical equipment of the data centre. Keeping the UPS under cover and in a dry place is important. Handling natural calamities like floods needs presence of mind, technical acumen and swift action.
Chennai airport
A number of flights - both domestic and international - from and to the Chennai airport were cancelled on Tuesday.
Chennai Metro
The Chennai Metro Rail Ltd in a bulletin at 4 pm on Tuesday said there was water-logging from Main Road till St Thomas Mount Metro station. Access to enter the station by road was cut off. Passengers were requested to use the foot over bridge in St Thomas Mount suburban railway station for interchanging purposes to access the metro station.
Waterlogging in B-Road, Koyambedu was observed, and passengers were requested to access Koyambedu Metro Station through foot over bridge from Poonamallee High Road, with landmark as the Rohini Theatre side.
Rail traffic affected
After water-logging over Bridge no. 14 between Basin Bridge and Vyasarpadi, the Southern Railway cancelled some of the trains, including Sapthagiri, on Tuesday evening.
People with vehicles wade through rainwater in Chennai | Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh
Low pressure
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department said the well-marked low pressure area over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards and lay centered over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal at 11:30 hours of Tuesday.
It is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over southwest Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours. It is likely to continue to move west-northwestwards thereafter and reach near north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by October 17 early morning as a depression, according to the meteorological department.
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