Chennai to witness more rains today, schools declare holiday

Chennai: After a brief hiatus from the incessant rains, Chennai and other parts of coastal Tamil Nadu witnessed another spell of heavy downpour on Friday evening. Educational institutions including schools will remain closed on Saturday.

As the heavy spell and waterlogging led to fears of a repeat of the December 2015 deluge, the AIADMK government sought to dispel such rumours.

It asked people not to pay heed to rumours on social media that many lakes and reservoirs around the city were about to surplus and that the excess water would be released.

"Do not spread and believe in rumours #work from home and 3rd Nov leave is 2 avoid traffic jams n (and) to avoid any untoward incident(sic)," the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Agency tweeted.

Flight operations at the city airport were normal, airport officials said.

Here are updates on Chennai rains

• Torrential downpour threw normal life out of gear in several parts of the metropolis and neighbouring districts
• A middle-aged farmer was electrocuted at Manal Agaram near Tiruvarur when he stepped on a snapped live wire lying under water in his field, police said, raising the death toll in rain-related incidents to eight since October 27, when the northeast monsoon arrived
• The famous Marina beach front and service lanes were under water, gauging a maximum of 30 cm of precipitation

Marina beach. (Photo: PTI)

• The coastal district of Nagapattinam continued to suffer monsoon fury, with incessant rains submerging houses and affecting standing crops over thousands of hectares

Marina beach. (Photo: PTI)

• Schools and colleges, closed since October 31, remained shut in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, as the Tamil Nadu government appealed to private firms to allow their employees to work from home
• Anna University and University of Madras announced cancellation of their semester exams
• Heavy water logging hindered free vehicular movement, a "signalling snag" partially hit train services between St Thomas Mount and Kodambakkam suburban. The services later became normal

Waterlogged street in Chennai. (Photo: PTI)

• Amid fears of a repeat of the December 2015 deluge, the AIADMK government sought to dispel rumours. The state government has set up 105 relief camps in chennai
• The regional weather office has forecast heavy to very heavy rains in the coastal districts and thunderstorms in Chennai and its suburbs for the next 24 hours

Chennai rains. (Photo: PTI)

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisamy, who visited flood relief camps in Chennai and suburban Perungalathur, distributed food packets, dhoti and sarees, mats and bedsheets to persons accommodated there
• The chief minister also visited a few affected areas in Chennai, including R K Nagar
• Facing criticism over the handling of rains in Tamil Nadu, CM Palanisamy alongwith his deputy O Panneerslevam and senior officals said insisted that his government was working on a "war-footing".

With inputs from PTI.