Heavy rains to hit Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, others: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains for Chennai and the adjoining districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur for Tuesday and Wednesday. 

The Tamil Nadu centre of IMD has forecast that due to a low pressure developing and intensifying over the South Andhra coast, heavy downpour will be witnessed in the regions.

"Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Coastal & South Interior Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Puducherry & Karaikal and Coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 5 days and over Rayalaseema during next 3 days," IMD said in its bulletin.

The weather agency has also predicted rains in Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakuruchi, Villupuram, Myladuthurai, and in delta districts of the state. Puducherry is also expected to receive light to moderate rains on Tuesday along with Karaikkal areas.

"Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Tamilnadu, Puducherry & Karaikal and Coastal Andhra Pradesh on 17th and isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls over north Tamilnadu, Puducherry & Karaikal and south Coastal Andhra Pradesh on 18th November, 2021," IMD added.

Even after there was a respite of heavy rains for the past two days, Chennai and the adjoining districts remain inundated, while houses in the low-lying areas of the city are still filled with water.

Almost all the ponds and lakes in Chennai are full and the administration also opened some reservoirs to release the excess water. However, the Poondi reservoir has almost reached its full capacity.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are kept ready to face any eventuality and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) units are also put in the loop to meet up with the issues that crop up if rains are coming down as expected.

Police, Fire and Rescue forces, Tangedco employees, and health department officials are put on alert to face the situation if it goes out of hand.

Velmurugan, a software engineer with an MNC who works in Chennai told IANS: "We were living at Ashok Nagar for the past several years and in the heavy downpour during last week, our housing colony was fully inundated, there was power failure and water was everywhere. The weather warning for Wednesday has made me jittery as we have started thinking of even shifting from our home to some other location."

Several people have also approached psychologists and counsellors due to anxiety over the weather situation.

Dr. Manoj Mahadevan, a psychologist at a leading hospital in Chennai, told IANS: "I was flooded with calls after the rains and the anxiety level of people have gone up. Many youngsters approached me for a solution and with the weatherman predicting heavy rains again on Wednesday, people will again begin to start thinking in the negative and my appeal is to all the people of Chennai to be positive and to have good thoughts. The administration has taken all the precautions even in heavy rains and we can face it."

(With IANS inputs)