Tamil Nadu Deluge: Chennai Airport to Stay Shut Till Dec 6
Tamil Nadu floods: Rescue teams deployed, airport shut, citizens cry for help on social media and more live updates.
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Chennai turns into an island as road, rail and air services are cut off.
The Chennai airport will remain shut till December 6, says the Airports Authority of India.
24 Hour Toll-Free Helpline: 1078
- NDMA’s round the clock Toll Free Helpline Number 1078.
- The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha.
- The Chief Secretary said as of now they have adequate arrangements and mechanisms to deal with requirements of drinking water, food, medicines, etc.
- He also said the state government has mobilised a large number of fishing boats for which personnel from the Navy and Coast Guard will be required.
- 15 NDRF teams are already deployed in Tamil Nadu for rescue operations. It has also been decided to move 7 more teams, 3 from Bhubaneswar and 4 from Delhi for deployment in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The Indian Air Force has already deployed choppers at Tambaram.
- As a precautionary measure, power supply to some areas in the city has been discontinued.
- Air fields of Arakkonam, Tirupati, Tambaram and Trichy be utilized for rescue and relief operations.
Ministries of Railways and Civil Aviation were asked to coordinate with the state government for safe and quick evacuation of stranded passengers.
Chennai Needs Volunteers
The IAF has launched rescue operations in Chennai, reports Times Now.
The Ford India plant in Chennai has stopped production, reports CNN-IBN. The company has said that they are assessing the situation and will resume operations once conditions improve.
Times Now reports that data services are irregular in Chennai; in order to get in touch with people, send text messages instead.
‘Come Out and Help’
Schools will remain shut, and exams have been postponed in the city. Eleven trains have been diverted due to waterlogging. Volunteers are appealing to people to come out and help, as some roads still remain navigable. Food and money aren’t the only requirements, they said, speaking to Times Now.
Even as the MeT department predicts three more days of heavy rainfall, Navy rescue operations are underway, and people have been rescued from Adyar and from other parts of Chennai, according to Times Now reports.
Times Now reports:
- The Telecommunication Ministry has said that it will not disconnect lines for defaulting on bills. BSNL has said that it will offer free services for one week.
- Train services have been severely affected due to rains.
People in Chennai allege that it is only local bodies that have offered assistance; they say that the government has not stepped in to aid rescue efforts effectively.
Times Now reports that seven army columns have been deployed to aid rescue efforts in Chennai. The army will begin work in the evening.
The Chennai floods is the subject of discussion in the Rajya Sabha. MP Kanhimozhi Karunanidhi describes Chennai’s predicament:
Follow our Parliament live blog here.
According to CNN-IBN,
- The Navy has set up a helpline number, even as power outages have increased from 50 to 70 percent.
- A coast guard ship, Sarang, has been deployed off Chennai.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has said that they are trying to send adequate help.
Flood Due to Climate Change?
Chennai Submerged
Close to 35 lakes have overflown their banks and have entered the boundaries of the city, according to a report by The Hindu.
The state of Tamil Nadu has suffered a loss of 188 lives since the monsoon hit. The MeT department of the government has forecast heavy rainfall for two days at least.
The people of Chennai have echoed the resilient spirit of the city, which has survived almost a month of downpour.
A human chain was formed to save this person from drowning.
This pregnant woman’s life was saved by the Indian Navy personnel.
Some people have suffered the backlash of the floods more than others.
But daily support has helped the city has grapple with the situation, and marginally succeeded in keeping at least a few parts afloat.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh will make a statement in the Parliament about the situation in Chennai.
Puducherry
Heavy showers continued to lash Puducherry, leaving localities under water and hitting normal life in the Union Territory where people in low-lying areas are being moved to safety even as water bodies filled up to the brim.
Amidst the relentless downpour, the government declared a holiday today for educational institutions as Puducherry and its suburbs recorded 21.8cm rain in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 AM today.
Although there was a let up in the rainfall for about 30 minutes in the morning, the showers resumed again.
Chennai Airport Shut; 700 Stranded
Close to 700 people are stranded at the Chennai airport due to heavy rainfall and water-clogging.
All the flights have been cancelled and the airport will remain shut till 6:30 am in the morning.
The Minister of State, Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma has announced help for the stuck passengers. Sharma has said, the ministry will evacuate the people as soon as possible.
IMD Predicts Heavier Rainfall
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavier rainfall in the flood affected state of Tamil Nadu on December 4.
On the upside, the intensity of the rainfall will decrease after December 4, according to the director of IMD, as reported by ANI.
However, the rainfall in Andhra Pradesh is increasing in intensity, according to reports.
The matter has thus gained attention of the Parliament, on the sixth day of its winter session.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Announces Help
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with cabinet ministers – Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley – to discuss the situation in Chennai.
Two columns of army’s Garrison Infantry Battalion have been pressed into service in Tambaram and Oorapakkam after the Tamil Nadu government sought military assistance.
The NDRF is airlifting another 15 teams to the rain-battered state. While 10 teams are being airlifted from Bhubaneshwar to Tirupati, another five teams are being lifted from Delhi, NDRF DG OP Singh said.
Each team comprises 40 personnel. The teams are also carrying 20 inflatable boats along with them for the rescue operations.
Other Helplines
Navy Helpline 044-25394240 promulgated and manned 24x7.
INS Airawat – with 5 Jamini boats, 20 divers, and other relief material – will reach Chennai today late eve or tomorrow morning. It has departed from Vizag, says CG Raju, Navy PRO.
NDRF has deployed its Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team for rescue & evacuation operation. The Delhi office of NDRF has issued its helpline number.
1. 011-24363260
2. +919711077372
Civilians and civilian organisations are also offering help in the city. You can find the list on Chennairains.org.
Prime Minister Discusses Chennai Situation With Cabinet Ministers
The Prime Minister is chairing a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu to discuss the situation in Chennai.
The Chennai airport will remain shut till 6 am on Thursday, December 3, according to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
People affected by the flood are sending in pictures.
Chennaiites Help Each Other
The people of Chennai are trying to provide help to those stranded in different corners of the city.
Reports suggest students at the Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) University are stranded. Individual tweets of people stranded in other parts of the city are also flowing in.
A Google document is being circulated on social media with a list of people providing help to the affected. Chennairains.org also has a similar list.
One of India’s most important cities is deluged by heavy rains. Chennai has received over 11 cm of rainfall since 8 am on Monday, shattering a 100-year-old record, and disrupting everyday life in the capital of Tamil Nadu.
The Quint brings you live updates.
The death toll in rain-related incidents has touched 188.
Chennai Comes to a Stand Still
A large part of the road near Madhya Kailash temple in the heart of the city – in an area that connects the IT corridor – caved in, resulting in a huge crater that disrupted traffic.
The Chennai airport has been shut down and will remain shit till 11:30 am, as per latest report. The Quint will bring you updates on the timings.
Even in hitherto unaffected areas, people complained that water entered their homes and roads have flooded with surging waters. Several areas in the city went without power as the supply was cut as a safety precaution.
NDRF Deployed: Army on Stand By
The National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) and the army are on stand by for relief and rescue operations. The NDRF has already dispatched ten teams of which four are already in Chennai and the rest will be flying in on Wednesday.
The Chennai Municipal Corporation has opened a few schools and colleges as relief centers. Find the list HERE.
The NDRF would deploy more teams if required. Teams carrying boats will also be sent to Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.
Two columns of the Army’s Garrison Infantry Battalion have been pressed into service in Tambaram and Oorapakkam after the Tamil Nadu government sought military assistance.
A Navy rescue team has also been deployed in Chennai’s Gandhinagar area.
The situation has worsened in suburban areas of Tambaram and Mudichur after the Chembarakam lake overflowed and an unprecedented 26,000 cusecs of water was being released, flooding the downstream areas.
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