M A I N   N E W S

Torrential rains flood Chennai
75,000 lodged in relief camps

Chennai, December 4
Hundreds of thousands of people in this Tamil Nadu capital have been rendered homeless after rain-fed rivers and lakes inundated almost three-fourths of the city, even as the administration struggled to provide succour amidst rising water level and forecast of more rains on Sunday night.

Officials said around 300,000 persons have been affected. Around 75,000 of them were evacuated and lodged in 140 relief camps across the state. The southern part of the city was the worst affected.

The floodwaters even made their way into the city’s biggest hospital, the Chennai Government Hospital, and the passenger lounge of the domestic airport. However, the runway remained unaffected. Water had also entered Egmore railway station.

Heavy rains lashed the city as a weak cyclonic depression passed through it Friday night, swelling the 50 lakes and the Adyar and Cooum rivers in the city, which began flowing into thickly populated areas by Saturday evening.

By Sunday morning, 40 neighbourhoods and 24 villages outside Chennai were submerged in three to four feet water forcing thousands of people to leave their homes.

In some areas people moved to upper floors of the buildings to escape flood waters.

Around 3,000 people were rescued from the inundated areas in boats. Various public buildings, schools and colleges were opened for people to take shelter. Authorities were arranging for community kitchens for the displaced people.

As the state administration struggled to meet the situation, the meteorological department had more bad news. It forecast heavy rains in the city on Sunday night.

By afternoon, almost three-fourths of the city was submerged and the water level was rising. More rains could only worsen the situation.

Many areas were without electricity as the gushing waters snapped the supply and severed telecommunication links. In some other areas, authorities cut off electricity supply as a precautionary measure.

Six deaths due to electrocution have been reported since Friday night.

All 32 lakes in north Chennai, 10 in the west and eight in the south were overflowing. Thickly populated localities like K.K. Nagar, Chromepete, Valsaravakkam and Jasserkhanpet, in the suburbs, and Adyar, Guindy, Saidepet in the south of the city were submerged.

The rains and floods are possibly the worst in the last 25 years. Last month a long spell of torrential rains in the city had claimed over 250 lives. — IANS