Chennai was battered by torrential rains all through Monday, with five deaths reported, schools and offices closed and the runway of one of India’s busiest airports submerged. With Cyclone Michaung expected to make landfall near Bapatla on the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday noon, many are fearing a 2015 rerun of the rain horror in the Tamil Nadu capital.
The India Meteorological Department said the severe cyclonic storm is likely to have sustained winds of 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kph. Flight operations at the Chennai airport will stay suspended till 9 am on Tuesday. More than 80 train services, including Vande Bharat and Shatabdi, were cancelled. Tamil Nadu police said the rain-related deaths occurred due to various reasons, including the collapse of a building wall, electrocution and falling of trees in separate incidents across the city.
Heavy rains lashed parts of Andhra Pradesh under the influence of the intense weather system even as the state government issued an alert to the eight districts of Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema, and Kakinada. The IMD said the system was moving in the sea at a speed of 10 kmph and lay centered around 80 km southeast of Nellore, 120 km north-northeast of Chennai, 210 km south of Bapatla and 250 km south-southwest of Machilipatnam at 5.30 pm.
“It is likely to intensify gradually and move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to the southern Andhra Pradesh coast and cross it between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla, during the forenoon of December 5 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph,” it posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Media showed images of cars floating as water coursed through the streets of Chennai as rain pelted down. Several areas were submerged in knee-deep water and there have been power outages since morning. Authorities closed down operations at Chennai airport on Monday, citing “severe weather conditions”. The industries department in Tamil Nadu, a manufacturing hub and host to major electronics and automobile manufacturers, including Hyundai and Apple supplier Foxconn, said only “essential supply companies” will function for now. Schools, colleges, offices and banks were closed in at least four districts of Tamil Nadu because of weather conditions, a government notice said.
Parts of Andhra Pradesh are likely to get more than 200 mm of rain over the next 24 hours, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Authorities have evacuated nearly 7,000 people in eight coastal districts and were preparing to evacuate a total of 28,000, depending on the cyclone’s path and severity, a senior official in the state’s disaster management department told Reuters. In Tamil Nadu, authorities declared a public holiday in four coastal districts and asked people not to venture out unless necessary.
With the severe Cyclone Michaung poised for landfall by the Bapatla coast on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials to be on high alert for taking up relief measures. In view of the heavy rain lashing Andhra Pradesh under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm, the state government issued an alert for eight districts — Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada — while the chief minister set several relief efforts in motion.
In a review meeting at his camp office, Reddy directed the officials to treat the storm as a major challenge to avoid loss of life and property as the winds are expected to blow gales reaching speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour. “Special officers have been appointed for all cyclone-affected districts, besides releasing Rs 2 crore each for rescue and relief works. The special officers will work in close coordination with the collectors and, if more funds are needed, the government will comply with the request,” Reddy said in a release.
He called on the official machinery to tap into its experience of handling Cyclone Hudhud and take advance relief measures, engage the services of ward and village secretariats, including tapping the services of village clinics, Rythu Bharosa Kendras and others. In the event of civic amenities being adversely affected in any area, the officials should restore those immediately, he said.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, the severe cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall near Bapatla around noon on Tuesday, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour. Gales are also expected to gust with speeds reaching up to 110 kilometres per hour during Tuesday forenoon.
The weather system is expected to persist till Thursday and thereafter become a deep depression and subside, the statement said. The officials have been directed to focus on safeguarding crops, especially by procuring paddy and saving the kharif harvest.
Until Sunday, up to 97,000 tons of paddy has been collected while 6.5 lakh tons of paddy moved to storage locations with instructions to manage the moisture content. Reddy directed the officials to procure all types of discoloured and wet paddy from farmers, along with educating them on safeguarding their crops that are yet to be harvested.
He called for an enumeration of the crop loss immediately after the cyclone recedes. Meanwhile, the evacuation process of the people affected is underway and 181 of the 308 required relief camps have been opened.
Reddy instructed the officials to prioritise the safe transportation of pregnant women, lactating mothers and the elderly, and to monitor the spread of communicable diseases. Five National Disaster Response Force and an equal number of State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed in the affected districts.
Further, the chief minister directed the special officers to focus on the medical, food and drinking water needs of the evacuees. While returning from the relief camps, officials have been directed to handover financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per family and Rs 1,000 in case of individual evacuees. For severely affected thatched houses, Reddy directed the officials to distribute an aid of Rs 10,000.
Additionally, food rations of 25 kilogramme rice, along with pulses, edible oil, onions and potatoes will be distributed to the evacuees. Reddy directed the officials to be empathetic towards those affected. The chief minister said he will visit the affected places and does not wish to hear complaints from the people after the cyclone subsides.
Cyclone Michaung is looming over west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, off the coasts of south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu. It lay 80 kilometres southeast of Nellore, 120 kilometres north to northeast of Chennai, 210 kilometres south of Bapatla and 250 kilometres south to southwest of Machilipatnam. It is likely to move northwards parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla during the forenoon of Tuesday as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds reaching up to 110 kilometres per hour, the Amaravati Meteorological Centre said.
(With PTI inputs)
Source: News18