Tamil Nadu rain toll mounts to 48

The toll in rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu increased to 48 on Thursday even as the MeT office forecast another spell of heavy showers next week, following the formation of a new trough of low pressure.

The toll shot up to 48, with the state government reporting another 17 deaths in the past two days, most of them from Cuddalore.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has condoled the death of the victims, a majority of whom died after drowning in flood water. She has also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to each of the victims’ families under the Disaster Relief Fund.

“A new trough of low pressure has formed in South Andaman Sea. It is expected to develop into a low pressure in South Eastern Bay of Bengal on November 14,” Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) Chennai Director SR Ramanan said. This formation was expected to bring in heavy rains to the state next week, RMC officials said.

Several parts of the state, including Chennai, are just limping back to normalcy after being battered by heavy rains under the influence of a low pressure that intensified into a deep depression and crossed the state coast on November 9 with Cuddalore District being the worst hit.

The government had on Wednesday said there were 31 deaths, including 27 from Cuddalore, in rain-related incidents including drowning, wall collapse and electrocution in the past two days.

On Wednesday, the Chief Minister had held a review meeting in the state capital with officials to assess the situation in Cuddalore, where relief and rehabilitation measures are being taken up in full swing.

Senior state Ministers, including O Panneerselvam, deputed by Jayalalithaa, visited the rain-hit district on Thursday and held consultations with Collector S Sureshkumar and other officials. They directed the officials to carry relief measures on ‘war-footing’, officials said.

A report from Cuddalore stated that incessant rains had severely damaged standing crops in Chidambaram and Panruti. Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi founder T Velmurugan said Cuddalore had been repeatedly affected by natural calamities and urged the Centre to declare it as a ‘disaster-affected district’ and award a relief package of Rs 1,000 crore.

Meanwhile, several parts of Chennai and suburbs, including commercial hub of Velachery, received rains overnight inundating low-lying areas further damaging roads.

The weather office has forecast rains in many places in southern districts, with heavy downpour in some areas and over a few places in northern Tamil Nadu for the next 24 hours. In Salem, District Collector V Sampath said three persons died in rain-related incidents and 122 houses had been damaged. Efforts were on to restore bus services between Salem and Yercaud, he said.