Chennai floods: Home Ministry holds crisis meeting

The meeting was chaired by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and several top officials of the govt including IMD Director General L S Rathore and NDRF Director General O P Singh

The Union Home Ministry held a crisis meet here on Thursday to review the flood-like situation arising out of incessant rains in Chennai and the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu.

The meeting, which was chaired by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, was attended by several top officials of the government including Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General L S Rathore and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General O P Singh.

Singh said the NDRF will focus its operations in Southern parts of Chennai, which are one of worst affected regions by the rains.

"We have sent two teams to Pondicherry, Cuddalore and rest of the teams to Tamil Nadu. The good thing is that it hasn't rained much last night, it merely drizzled. The water level has fallen over night. Today our teams will focus on South Chennai which is one of the worst affected," he told ANI after the meeting.

 

Meanwhile, the IMD maintained that the rains would continue for the next 48 hours.

"The rains will continue for the next 48 hours, after which the intensity of rains will lessen. There is water logging everywhere, which has affected road, rail and air transports," Rathore said.

The NDRF has deployed additional teams to speed up the rescue operations in Tami Nadu.

In the flood hit northern part of Tamil Nadu, the situation has improved slightly with the scale of rain coming down since yesterday. Power supply has been restored in most parts of Chennai. Water has started receding from many areas of the city. However, the suburban west Tambaram areas are still submerged under water.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will conduct an aerial survey of the flood affected areas of Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallu today.

The Chennai Airport will remain closed till Sunday. From today, Chennai bound flights will be landing at INS Rajali Airbase of Indian Navy at Arakonam which is about 60 kilometres from Chennai.

Heavy rains and water overflowing above the danger level at Railway Bridges in Chennai-Gudur section has impacted the functioning of trains following which the South Central Railway (SCR) has cancelled 12 trains and assured full refunds of fare for the same.