Schools, colleges to remain shut in Chennai, 10 other Tamil Nadu districts tomorrow amid heavy rains

Amid continued heavy rainfall inundating roads in several areas of capital Chennai, Tamil Nadu government has announced a holiday in schools and colleges in Chennai and 10 other districts for tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, due to continuous and heavy rainfall, water-logging has been reported from several districts of Tamil Nadu.

State revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran had informed a total of eight people have died due to heavy rainfall in the state.

As the rains continued in several parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry on Sunday, inundating many areas and flooding several roads and subways, inconveniencing people and affecting their routine. 

Chief Minister M K Stalin inspected several flooded suburban areas like Tiruverkadu in Tiruvallur District and monitored work to bail out flood water and interacted with the local people while sipping tea at a roadside tea stall and also listened to their grievances. 

Stalin gave away flood relief assistance, including essential commodities and blankets, to over 300 people housed in a suburban school and reviewed the flood situation with officials. 

In a tweet, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that "we will come out of the aftermath of the heavy rains." 

On Sunday, northern regions, including Chennai, Cuddalore and neighbouring Puducherry witnessed moderate to heavy rainfall and it was scattered, light to moderate in other areas of the state, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre.

In view of monsoon showers, most reservoirs in the state have received copious inflows and surplus water is being let out in many regions. People in low lying areas were evacuated and housed in shelters. 

The government said 15,016 people have been housed in 188 camps in Tiruvallur, Chengelpet, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Ranipettai, Tiruchirappali, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts. 

"In the past 24 hours, two people (one each in Cuddalore and Tuticorin) districts died in rain related incidents," the government said in a statement.