Death toll from Tamil Nadu rains cross 120!

-Dr. Abdul Ruff

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Tamil Nadu is a major target of latest natural calamity attacks as the continuing rains have created havocs in the life of common Tamil people in some parts of the state, especially in the capital Chennai. Norma  life has been badly affected.

The toll from rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu increased to 120 on Friday, as overnight rains lashed many parts of the city, raising fears of more inundation. Unassessed damage to physical assets has also been caused. The fury is continuing. It seems the situation has broken earlier records for which, news reports say, people were not prepared.

Rains under the influence of north east monsoon hit normal life in several parts of Tamil Nadu where educational institutions remained closed even as the weather office forecast heavy downpour in the next three days in the state, Pondicherry and coastal Andhra Pradesh.
In Chennai, office-goers faced a harrowing time due to water-logging and delay in train services.

Tamil Nadu government and major political parties are doing their best to help the people in shifting them to safe places and providing them with food, medicines and cloths, etc.

Some of States located near sea in Southern India - Tamil Nadu , Kerala , Andhra Pradesh, - have been hit hard by heavy and unprecedented rains and floods during November 2015, Chennai is reported to have been worst affected. India Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains in the next three days in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and coastal Andhra Pradesh. Several areas, including Mylapore (South Chennai), Vysarpadi and Perambur (North Chennai) have remained inundated since yesterday due to flooding. The city has been experiencing continuous rains since Saturday night with the spell reduced to a drizzle on Monday.

Incessant rains continued in Nagapattinam district for the third consecutive day on Monday throwing normal life out of gear. Paddy crops in hundreds of acres remain submerged in this region. Prices of everyday use items are shooting up to the level of high concern.

Tarangambadi in Nagapattinam district recorded the highest rainfall of 54 mm. Other areas in the district have recorded over 45 mm of rainfall. More than 10,000 fishermen did not venture into the sea for the fourth consecutive day due to the rough conditions. Senior IAS officer Shivdas Meena, who has been appointed the flood monitoring officer for Nagapattinam district, toured various parts of the district along with District Collector S Pazhanisamy. Kollidam, Thalaignayiru and Ananthamangalam areas, which have been identified as flood prone areas, are under round-the-clock vigil. Meena told reporters 12 cyclone shelters have been kept ready to offer emergency services.

Meanwhile, the Regional Weather office forecast rain in coastal and interior districts of Tamil Nadu for the next 24 hours. Rains were particularly expected in the districts along Western Ghats, such as Theni and Nilgiris, SR Ramanan, Director, Regional Meterological Department, told reporters.

In the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Friday, various places in Nilgiris registered good spells of rain with Ketti and Coonoor in the district registering 12 cm and 11 cm respectively. Heavy vehicles factory in Avadi (Tiruvallore district) received 12 cm while Poondi and Ponnamanalle in the same district

On 30 October 2015 , about 60 newsrooms of global media were addressed through email to say that from 1 November to 20 November 2015 , at vulnerable places, such phenomena as smog , fires , volcano eruption and the like which contribute to repugnant smell could take likely take shape. It is a common knowledge that accumulation of water in huge form has always likelihood of emitting repugnant smell and sometimes epidemics though mosquito and the like.

In a statement, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said nine persons had been killed in the last four days, with the victims mainly hailing from Chennai and Kancheepuram districts, and expressed sympathies with their families. She announced a relief of four lakh rupees each to the families of the victims.

Opposition leaders have demanded CM Jayalalithaa to visit the affected areas and announce more speedy relief works. They also demand the TN government to see the bad water logging does not reoccur. DMK leader and a CM candidate for the next assembly poll condemned the Jayalalithaa government for  inaction for too long.

However, a bright morning brought relief to the residents of the rain-drenched city, even as the weather office has forecast rains for 21 November and even beyond that.