Power supply restored as Chennai floodwaters recede

At least two bouts of unusually heavy rain since November 1 have led to 325 deaths in Tamil Nadu, IANS news agency reported. Chief minister Jayalalithaa, meanwhile, sanctioned Rs 4 lakh solatium to each member of the next of kin of seven persons, who died in rain-related incidents from December 1-4 in various parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai.

The patients were in the intensive care unit at MIOT International hospital in the state capital of Chennai when floodwaters seeped into the room with the generators, cutting off power to the building and the ventilators earlier this week, state Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said Saturday. “Urban sprawls such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Srinagar, have not paid adequate attention to the natural water bodies that exist in them”. Residents say 50,000 cusecs of water was let out without any warning on Tuesday night.

Emphasizing on the large scale of the relief work, he added that the operation consisted of more than 1500 jawans and over 200 inflatable boats are still at work rescuing people. Power supplies and phone networks were also hit.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has offered free Skype calls during a disaster, just recently Microsoft offered free domestic and worldwide calls to landlines and mobiles in France during the deadly Paris attacks.

“Out of the 20 fresh teams being sent in, five have already taken position in Tamil Nadu”, the spokesperson added.

Public anger has surged over the state government’s alleged failure to warn residents of the likelihood of flooding and slow response after torrential rain began to fall. “Only the residents of neighbourhood brought us some biscuits, and drinking water”, an angry resident of MGR Nagar in Ramapuram in Thiruvallur was seen complaining to a local television channel. The NDRF teams are now deployed in Manali, Perumbakkam, Minjur, Velachery, Ramapuram, Mudichur, Saligramam, Kolathur, Manapakkam, Red Hills, Ambattur, Thoraipakkam, Jafferkhanpet and Pondicherry.

“What is happening in Chennai is the result of what has happened for 150 years in the developed world”, the Indian environment minister said. We will review and analyse it later. Area Cyclone Warning Centre director S R Ramanan said the delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam are likely to get moderate to heavy rainfall on Sunday.

Met officials told Deccan Herald that Friday’s low pressure area over south west bay and adjoining Sri Lanka off Tamil Nadu Coast now lies over Sri Lanka and adjoining Comorin area off South Tamil Nadu Coast. The Airport Authority of India has announced that the facility may be able to start partial operations today.

Two of the players in the current playing eleven- Ravichandran Ashwin and Murali Vijay, have Tamil Nadu as their native State, and despite everything happening there, have shown enormous resolve to play for India in this match. And the rain is far from over.