Met Dept predicts more rain
AMN /
Intermittent spells of rain are being experienced since this evening in the flood-hit Chennai, Roads were flooded in many parts again.
However, the outflow of water from the Chembarampakkam reservoir and Poondi lake in Tiruvallur district which caused the recent inundation in many South Chennai areas is kept to the same level. Road transportation has slightly improved in the city with many closed down bridges and routes opened up.
Many subways are still submerged, forcing people to take circuitous routes to reach other areas. Though water has begun to recede from many submerged areas, many more still remain flooded, necessitating the rescue teams to continue to work on a war footing.
Most of the petrol and diesel outlets in Chennai are not functional though Indian Oil sources said there is no shortage of fuel and the problem is only due to power failure.
The Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag made an aerial recce of the affected regions of Chennai and its adjoining districts to strategize further the rescue and relief measures. Two Naval vessels INS Shakti and INS Shyadhri arrived Chennai with relief materials.
In the corporate hospital MIOT in Chennai, it is reported that 18 patients died which was attributed to short supply of oxygen caused by snapping of electricity and failure of power generators due to inundation.
However, the state Health Secretary Dr Radhakrishnan told media persons in Chennai, the Government has been assisting all private hospitals that sought help in shifting patients to other locations and the hospital and generators would be arranged if help was sought. The bodies of 14 of the dead were brought to the Royapettah Government Hospital in Chennai.
Meanwhile, limited air services were offered from the naval airbase at INS Rajali at Arakkonam some 85 kilometer west of Chennai, which serves as a makeshift airport. Services from there is scheduled to go on till tomorrow.
The city airport is also expected to be operational for regular air services from tomorrow, as stagnant water has been pumped out. The southern railway resumes operations from Chennai Egmore station today on a limited scale with five special trains to the southern destinations like Kanyakumari, Sengottai ), Tuticorin, Madurai and Tanjore. The railway authorities have also announced special trains from Chennai Beach station to Hyderabad, Tirunelveli and Rameswaram. Similarly, a special train will be operated to Mangalore from Arakkonam railway station.