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A red alert warning - extremely heavy rainfall - has been issued by the Meteorological Department for coastal districts of Tamil Nadu Ramanathapuram to Villupuram. The warning is valid for 24 hours from Wednesday 8.30 am.
While there is no warning for Chennai, neighbouring districts of Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu have been placed on orange alert indicating possibility of very heavy rainfall.
However, from November 11 at 8.30 am, for 24 hours, red alert has been sounded for Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai districts. After that, a yellow alert - heavy rainfall has been given to most of the coastal districts, a bulletin said on Tuesday morning.
A cyclonic circulation persists over south-east Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea extending up to 5.8 km above mean sea level. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is very likely to form in the region during the next 24 hours. It is likely to move west–northwestwards, concentrate into a depression and reach near north Tamil Nadu coast by the early morning of November 11, the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai said.
Two-day holiday
Thunderstorms with lightning are likely to occur at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal for the next three days, the bulletin said. Weather blogger Pradeep John (Tamil Nadu Weatherman), in a tweet said that heavy rains are expected to start on Wednesday noon/night and continue non-stop till Thursday noon, and from then reduce. On 10th and 11th extreme vigil will be needed from Cuddalore to Chennai belt.
The State government has declared holiday on Wednesday and Thursday for schools and colleges in nine districts, including Chennai.
High Court upset
Meanwhile, the Madras High Court on Tuesday pulled up the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on water logging in the city, and questioned what the civic body was doing since the city was battered by floods in 2015.
It is such a pity that half the year, people are longing for water and for the rest of the half, there is flooding or people are dying in water, said the Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu.
The Bench was hearing a petition on maintaining adequate width of public roads in the State and another on alleged encroachments of water bodies.
The Court told the GCC counsel that it would take up a suo motu PIL petition regarding the hardships faced by residents on water logging, if there is no improvement in the situation by weekend.
The Bench urged the GCC to remove the encroachment of water bodies, which is the major reason for the flooding.
With water logging in several parts of Chennai, Chief Minister MK Stalin during inspection asked government officials what happened to the huge sums of money released for the Smart City plan. He also said that action would be taken against the contractors.
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