Jayalalithaa reviews flood situation

She also announced postponement of half-yearly examinations for school students scheduled in December to first week of January 2016.

She directed state ministers to expedite monsoon works by visiting their respective districts.

Reviewing the status of 89 major reservoirs in Tamil Nadu and inflow, she ordered release of water from 45 major dams. She instructed the health department to move in-patients from hospitals that are inundated and also advised electricity board officials to prevent deaths due to electrocution by double checking the safety of electrical cables and transformers.

Post lunch, secretariat wore a deserted look forcing highways, public works department, local administration and rural development departments to pass instructions to all its field staff that no leave would be granted to them during rain.

Ripon Buildings, the seat of Chennai corporation, saw four senior ministers Natham Viswanathan, R. Vaithilingam, Gokula Indira and B. Valarmathi visiting the marooned heritage building to assess the monsoon damage and measures taken by city corporation.

Ministers and state officials also conducted inspections directing district collectors to open sluice gates of more than 40 per cent of dams and reservoirs in northern Tamil Nadu. State transport corporations and metropolitan transport corporation suspended bus services as several state highways, including Grand Southern Trunk road and district main roads were marooned.

Floods affected traffic between Chennai- Kancheepuram-Villupuram and Tiruchirappalli districts resulting in stranding of vehicles on highways. The situation continued till late night. At Thiruporur and parts of OMR here, fire and police personnel started evacuating people as the localities were marooned by Tuesday noon.