Navy, Air Force, NDRRF ready as cyclone Vardah nears Chennai

A cyclone barrelled into the south-east coast of India on Monday, killing at least ten people and bringing down trees and power lines as authorities moved tens of thousands of people from low-lying areas.

“The western part of the cyclone Vardah has crossed the coast around 10 km north of Chennai”, S. Balachandran, Director at the Regional Meteorological Centre said.

“In case of heavy rainfall in low lying areas, we will evacuate immediately. In Tamil Nadu, we’ve prepositioned three teams in Chennai, two in Kanchipuram and two in Tiruvallur, while one team is on its way to Puducherry”, RK Pachnanda, DG NDRF, said.

He said the incoming flights were diverted to Bengaluru or Coimbatore.

SriLankan Airlines cancels all flights to Chennai due to cyclone Mon, Dec 12, 2016, 07:35 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Heavy rainfall lashed India’s Southern states as a severe cyclonic storm inched closer to Chennai, one of the most populous cities of the country.

But a resilient Chennai, by now used to its December Date with Disaster – past year it was floods and now a cyclone – began repairing itself with help from the NDRF and SDRF teams deployed all over to clear the roads and byroads.

Flight services were so far operating smoothly, airport officials said.

The wind speed that is 80 to 90 kmph is likely to go p to 100 kmph by this afternoon.

A total of 260 trees and 37 electricity poles had fallen in Chennai. Some other Express trains on the Chennai route have also been diverted via Arrakkonam. Many fell on the roads, blocking traffic.

“Many people living in the low-level areas have been moved to safe places”, said the minister. The Met department said the intensity of wind and rainfall would recede.

The IMD said: ” Squally winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph would prevail along and off Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts commencing from 11th December night.

The Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, teams of the National Disaster Relief Force has been deployed to conduct rescue and relief operations in Chennai. At around 5 pm heavy rain will resume again, it said.

The Tamil Nadu government had declared a holiday for educational institutions in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, besides coastal taluks of Villupuram. The NDRF, SDRF, fire and rescue services department personnel have already been positioned at vulnerable locations to be immediately deployed wherever necessary for rescue and relief operations.