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Heavy rains inundate Chennai and TN: PM Modi speaks to CM Stalin! Here's what he said!

By alagu, 08 November, 2021
MK Stalin, Narendra Modi, Chennai, Heavy rains

Chennai and several parts of Tamil Nadu have been inundated with what has become a historical rainfall as the incessant downpour has caused a major disruption to the public lives across the state and brought back the distraughting memories of the 2015 floods. The state government has deployed relief and evacuation measures and Chief Minister MK Stalin had toured across Chennai on Sunday and took stock of the situation.

Chennai had witnessed a 24-hour rainfall between 8.30 am on November 6 and November 7 for the first time since 2015. Tamil Nadu has opened the week with distress and with the warning that extremely heavy rain is still in the store. As the state has been battling to resume normalcy from the rainfall, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on Sunday spoken with Chief Minister MK Stalin and expressed that he is praying for everyone's well-being and safety. 

Taking to the social media, the Prime Minister wrote in English and Tamil, "Spoke to Tamil Nadu CM, Thiru @mkstalin and discussed the situation in the wake of heavy rainfall in parts of the state. Assured all possible support from the Centre in rescue and relief work. I pray for everyone’s well-being and safety." As the sequel of the heavy rainfall, the state government had declared a public holiday on Monday and while all the government offices are shut apart from the essential services, the private companies have been instructed to declare holiday or allow their employees to work from home.

The Chief Minister has also advised the people who are planning to come to Chennai to defer their travel for two more days while the public transportation has been functioning normally amid disruptions. A two-day holiday has been declared for all educational institutions in four Tamil Nadu districts - Chennai, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur, and Chengalpet and the government has given authority to the district collectors to take a call on declaring holiday based on the situations at their respective districts. 

The educational institutions in districts of Cuddalore, Vellore, Ranipet, Villupuram, Thanjavur, Tirupathur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Pudukottai, and Karur were declared holiday on Monday and Tuesday. MK Stalin and several functionaries of the government mechanism had inspected the affected areas and ensured speedy relief work to the public. In his visit in Chennai, the Chief Minister was accompanied by ministers KN Nehru and Sekar Babu, Chief Secretary Irai Anbu, DGP Sylendra Babu, and Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi. 

MK Stalin had distributed flood assistance, including rice, milk, and blankets to people in affected areas and directed the officials to escalate the rescue and evacuation work. The officials of the Chennai Corporation had taken the baton of clearing the disruption in the city and food has been disturbed to all the affected people and several temporary shelters have been installed to house the evacuated people.  On Sunday, the civic body has prepared 65,000 food packets and distributed them to the affected people in the northern region. 

Tamil Nadu Minister for Transport Rajakannapan had announced that the government buses will ply across the state. The Chennai Metro Rail had also announced that it was extending its timings for Monday. According to its official statement, the metro trains will be operated from 5.30 am to 11 pm with a gap of ten minutes throughout the day. Due to surplus water, the government has opened the gates of three reservoirs in Chennai and the meteorological department has said that Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had witnessed about 43% excess rainfall. As the state had gone into a public holiday on Monday, Chief Minister MK Stalin has continued his review for the second consecutive day. 

 

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