Chennai: With the IMD issuing a red alert on October 16 forecasting extremely heavy rains in the Tamil Nadu Capital and its surroundings, Chennai witnessed panic buying of household essentials on Monday. Besides, people living in flood prone areas rushed to park their cars safely at an elevation on flyovers in the southern suburbs even as the Chennai City Traffic Police said such vehicles would be challaned for unauthorised parking.
Chief Minister M K Stalin instructed officials to declare a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts on October 15 (orange alert). Besides, he instructed them to issue an advisory to allow employees of IT companies in these districts to work from home from October 15 and 18.
As many as 1,181 relief camps have been set up in these districts and 469 boats have been kept ready.
All these preparatory works were being taken as the Regional Meteorological Centre has predicted that Northeast monsoon is likely to arrive over southern peninsular region by October 16 or October 17. The IMD said one or two places in Chennai and surrounding districts and five north and delta districts would have to brace for an “extremely heavy rainfall above 20 cm”.
Against the backdrop of this many people in Chennai rushed to buy groceries and provisions to stock up fearing being immobilised by heavy rains.
Residents in and around Velachery, a low lying area in south Chennai, began to park their cars safely on the flyover, ignoring police warning of fines. “In the last December floods, my sedan was marooned and I had spent Rs 80,000 on repairing it. I can’t afford to spend a similar amount this time. Despite the traffic police warning, I have parked my vehicle here time too as the fine amount for unauthorised parking even for four days will be only Rs 4,000 as compared to the repair cost,” said Balaji Vaidyanathan, a resident of Velachery.
