With the Northeast monsoon becoming vigorous, rains continued to batter the state, even as rain water today entered a Government Hospital in Chennai, causing inconvenience to the patients.
As Chennai continued to reel under the impact of the monsoon, rain water today entered the Tambaram Taluk Government General Hospital at Chrompet, popularly called the "Chrompet GH."
Authorities maintained that health care services to the people continued.
"We are using motor pumps to flush out the flood water, the work is on continuously. However, since the rain continues, there is no let up in inflow too," a medical official told PTI, adding "not all the portions of the hospital are affected, it is only to some extent on the ground level."
"Our services to the people are not affected, the patients in the ward which is witnessing inundation have been shifted to a safer place," he added.
A popular state-run hospital in the southern suburbs of Chennai, the hospital has amenities including trauma care for which it is well-known. In and out patients too avail the services of the hospital.
As the city and suburbs experienced more rains, neighbourhoods that were not inundated previously too are now experiencing water-logging.
According to the weather office, a "trough of low pressure at mean sea level lay over Southwest Bay and adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean," triggering more rains.
Most parts of Tuticorin district were inundated following heavy rains for the third day today, and the entire district collectorate wore a deserted look as officials were busy serving food and other essential commodities by boat to affected people besides rescuing some people from water-logged areas.
Traffic on the Tirunelveli-Tuticorin route was affected as rain water was allegedly diverted on to the national highway, to check inundation of residential areas, but it did not work.
Fire service personnel were engaged to rescue those marooned in residential areas and inundated highways and city roads. Officials said five lakh people were marooned in many colonies and essential items were being supplied to them by boat.
A report from Cuddalore said some 100 houses were inundated at Beramarao Nagar. About 1,200 people were rescued from water-logged areas at Panrutti, Virudhachalam and Cuddalore. As many as 72,000 people have been housed in relief camps, according to District Collector Sureshkumar.
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Arterial roads were inundated in Chennai following heavy rains this evening.
"The Northeast monsoon has been vigorous over Tamil Nadu" the Regional Meterological Department said even as rains pounded the city and its suburbs.
Water-logged roads and flooding of residential areas raised fears of a repeat of last week's severe inundation amidst forecast of more rains on Tuesday by the weather office.
Citizens returning home after work on Monday faced a harrowing time with traffic moving at a snail's pace on water-logged roads.
Important roads such as Anna Salai, OMR, Koyambedu, T Nagar, Purasawakkam, Guindy and the GST were flooded, even as trains ran slow due to inundation of tracks.
In some places such as Egmore, citizens complained of being stuck for more than two hours.
Meanwhile, schools will remain closed in Chennai tomorrow and college exams have been postponed.
A report from Courtallam in Tirunelveli district said people were not allowed to take bath in the waterfalls as water was gushing out in torrents.
Firefighters carried out scores of water rescues, most involving stranded residents. Vehicles had to be abandoned in many areas.
