Cyclonic storm in Bay of Bengal; Tamil Nadu on high alert, trains cancelled

Chennai: With a Cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal set to bring heavy rainfall to several parts of the state till December 5, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday said it has kept nearly 5,000 relief camps ready to lodge people living in low-lying areas and rushed 17 teams from the NDRF and SDRF to eight districts that are expected to be affected by the rains. 

The Indian Railways cancelled as many as 144 trains across the country between December 3 and December 7 due to the Cyclonic storm, while district administrations in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram declared holiday for schools and colleges on December 4.

The precautionary measures by the Tamil Nadu government came as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said the Deep Depression in the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a Cyclonic storm by December 3 and reach the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu coasts on December 4, bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall in at least 16 districts in the state. 

“Thereafter, it would move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coasts and cross between Nellore & Machilipatnam on December 5 as a Cyclonic Storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph,” the IMD said in its forecast. 

If the system intensifies into a cyclone as forecast by the IMD, it will be known as Cyclone Michaung, a name suggested by Myanmar. The weather system in the Bay of Bengal will result in heavy to very heavy rains over Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore districts and Puducherry on December 3.

Districts such as Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam will receive heavy rains at isolated places on December 3. The rains will continue in all the districts while a Red Alert has been issued to Tiruvallur district on December 4. 

The MeT department has also asked people in Tiruvallur and Chennai to remain indoors on December 4 and 5 due to the intensity of the Cyclonic Storm. The Greater Chennai Police advised people not to visit beaches in the city due to high waves. 

Briefing reporters about the preparations, Revenue Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said 17 teams from the National Disaster Relief Force and State Disaster Relief Force have been dispatched to Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, and Chennai districts for relief and rescue activities. 

“121 multi-purpose shelters and 4,967 relief camps are kept ready in all districts across the state. Control rooms at the state level and in districts have begun functioning round the clock. As many as 162 relief camps are ready in Chennai and 299 persons have been lodged in one camp so far,” Ramachandran said. He added that 504 water pumps have been kept ready to drain out water from the roads after the rains. 

Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, who holds additional charge of Electricity portfolio, said the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) is ready to handle heavy rains. 

“As many as 15,500 electricity department workers are ready to handle the situation and officials have been asked to attend to complaints without any delay. We have given instructions to ensure that power supply is not suspended in hospitals and in government offices,” the minister said.