Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 30: Heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds pounded several parts of northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as cyclonic storm Fengal lay 120 km east of Puducherry and is likely to make landfall between Karaikal and Mamallapuram close to Puducherry with a wind speed of 70-80 km per hour, gusting to 90 kmph by late Saturday evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest update.
The cyclone has led to a weather change, impacting flights to and from Chennai and local trains. The Chennai airport will remain shut till 4 am on Sunday due to higher crosswinds forecast by the Met department. Earlier, IndiGo Airlines also suspended flight services in Chennai. As of now, 55 flights have been cancelled. Southern Railway has informed that fewer suburban trains will run during this time. Chennai MRTS services have also suspended its operations. Fewer buses were seen on the roads.
“Cyclonic Storm ‘Fengal’ over Southwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 11.8°N and longitude 81.7°E, about 210 km southeast of Chennai. To move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during the afternoon of 30th November,” IMD said in an official statement.
A man was electrocuted at an ATM in Chennai amid heavy rain with cops suspecting a short circuit on a railing outside. He has been identified only by his surname Verma. His body was found floating on the road.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. Several coastal areas are already witnessing a change in the weather and high tides.
Heavy to very heavy rain and isolated extremely heavy rain is expected at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area.
A red alert has been issued across Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Viluppuram, Kallakurichi, and Cuddalore districts, besides Puducherry. An orange alert is in place in Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Karaikal districts.
Schools and colleges remained close in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, and Mayiladuthurai districts in Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry on Saturday. Boats, generators, motor pumps, tree-cutters and other necessary equipment have been kept ready in these districts. The NDRF and state disaster response teams have been deployed in these districts.
Warning of rough seas and strong winds, authorities have advised fishermen not to venture into the sea and move their boats and other equipment to higher grounds to prevent damage. The storm is likely to damage telecommunication lines and lead to flooding in the low-lying areas, Dr S Balachandran, director, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai said. The impact will be more along the coastal districts, he has warned.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday visited the Disaster Management Control Room in Chennai and reviewed the arrangements and precautionary measures taken by the state government in the wake of Cyclone Fengal.
Additional Chief Secretary Health Dept Govt of Tamil Nadu Supriya Sahu said Chromepet’s Government Hospital was waterlogged due to heavy rainfall. She informed that all the essential services were shifted to the first floor during the cyclone preparedness.
“I made a visit and interacted with patients, doctors and nurses. Commend the tireless efforts of doctors & the team ensuring patient safety during these challenging times. To address the issue permanently a 300-bedded hospital at a cost of Rs 110 Cr is sanctioned by the Govt. It is under construction in the vicinity and will be operational early next year,” she said.
In view of the changing weather conditions due to the cyclonic storm, the Tamil Nadu government directed authorities to suspend public transport movement on key roads, including the East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), during the afternoon of November 30.
The routes running close to the coastal areas are temporarily suspended for vehicular movement to mitigate the risk posed by the cyclonic storm, said the government, adding that the step will prevent danger to life by strong winds and heavy rain during the landfall process.
Additionally, the state government also directed the IT companies to allow their employees to opt for work from home on Saturday. The step was taken to reduce the number of people commuting during the storm’s peak hours.
The state authorities have issued advisories for fishermen and residents, urging them to stay alert as the cyclonic storm approaches. The coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, especially around Karaikal and Puducherry, are expecting rough sea conditions, strong winds, and rainfall.
With preparations in place, the Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Department set up 2,229 relief camps across the state, ensuring that resources are available for those who may need shelter during the storm’s landfall time. Similar preparations were seen across Puducherry.
SSP Puducherry, Kalaivanan said, “For the last four days we have been deploying police personnel along the beach and apart from this we are also informing the fishermen and people living in low-lying areas to be careful. Fishermen are not venturing into the sea. Since last night, we have closed all the beaches. We have deployed nearly 300 personnel across all the beaches of Puducherry and we are coordinating with NDRF also.”
Till now, 471 people from 164 families have already been accommodated in relief camps in Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, said the local authorities, who have also deployed essential equipment, including motor pumps, generators, and boats, to affected regions such as Chennai, Cuddalore and Mayiladuthurai.