Tamil Nadu rains: Schools, banks shut in four districts today; IMD predicts heavy rainfall till Dec 19

Tamil Nadu government declared a holiday for all schools, colleges, private institutions, banks and financial institutions on Monday in the four districts ravaged by heavy rainfall and subsequent waterlogging. These districts are Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi.

Rainfall continued on Sunday night through the Thoothukudi district, causing severe waterlogging. Kovilpatti, Vembar, Ettayapuram, Vilathikulam, Kalugumalai, Kayathar, Kadambar, Surangudi and other areas of the district have witnessed continuous rainfall since Sunday morning.

Due to heavy downpour, around 40 rivers and lakes around the Kovilpatti area reached their full capacity. "Forty lakes in Kovilpatti Panchayat are full. Two lakes were damaged and we repaired them. We are continuously monitoring other lakes too. If there is a breach in the lake, we are ready to fix it immediately," Rajesh, District Development Officer, Thoothukudi district, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran said ministers and two IAS officers have been appointed separately for Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. He added they are monitoring the relief work and precautionary measures to be undertaken in these districts.

"As a precautionary measure, 250 State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Tenkasi districts. A few more members of the State Disaster Response Force will arrive in Tenkasi district today. Even I will be visiting the flood-affected areas," the minister noted.

Nineteen camps have been set up in Tirunelveli, four in Kanyakumari, two in Thoothukudi and one in Tenkasi district to accommodate the public. In Tirunelveli, people affected due to floods and waterlogging have been brought to the Thachanallur relief camp where they have been provided with essential items and food.

Besides this, Tuticorin and Tenkasi districts are also reporting heavy rains. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain in one or two places over Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts of Tamil Nadu on December 18.

Similar weather conditions are also likely to prevail over Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Ramanathapuram on December 19. Thunderstorms and lightning are expected at one or two places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on the same day, as per the weather office. The Met department has also warned of cyclonic winds over the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and the Gulf of Mannar.

Also Read: IMD issues orange alert for Tamil Nadu for next 7 days; fishermen advised not to venture into sea for 2 days

Also Read: Citigroup China investment bank plans delayed by data law