Nine people including four children were killed in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district on Friday after their house collapsed amid heavy rains.
Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a compensation of ₹ 5 lakh each to the families of those who died in the incident. Eight people were injured in the accident and are being given medical aid at the Pernambut Government hospital. Due to heavy rains in Vellore for the past few days, most of the areas are inundated.
The depression over the Bay of Bengal crossed the coast between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh early this morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
In another incident in Vellore, a two storey house on the banks of Palar was washed away by flood waters.
The system crossed the coast between Chennai and Puducherry. The weather office has forecast more rain for Tamil Nadu and heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Tamil Nadu has received 61 per cent excess rainfall during the ongoing northeast monsoon period from 1 October till date, the state government said on Thursday. The red alert earlier issued to Chennai and Tiruvallur has been withdrawn and an orange alert has been issued now. The Greater Chennai Corporation has asked the public to stock up on food and necessities and to avoid going near water bodies or low-lying areas.
Heavy rainfall is likely to occur in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur and Salem, S Balachandran, the Met department said on Friday.
"Fishermen warning issued in Southwest Bay of North Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh till today afternoon. Light spell of rain likely to occur in Chennai," S Balachandran, DDGM, Met Dept, Chennai said.
Chennai, Tiruvallur, Tirupattur, Kancheepuram, Vellore and Chengalpet have declared holiday for schools and colleges on Friday.
Several districts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been cautioned by the Central Water Commission (CWC) to keep strict vigil on the dams and to release water carefully.
The Tamil Nadu health department has also directed the district collectors to conduct medical camps to prevent the outbreak of any infectious diseases after the floods and incessant rainfall. The state health secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan has called upon the district collectors to conduct medical camps, spray bleaching powder, clear debris and garbage, stop the overflowing of sewage with water, fogging, chlorinating water, and reduce mosquito breeding.
The state government on Wednesday passed an order to form a special drone unit for the Greater Chennai police. Six quick response payload drones, two long-range surveillance drones and a lifeguard drone will form the new unit costing Rs 3.60 crore.
The drones will be positioned in vulnerable positions in the city to aid and assist field police officers to reduce the response time to distress calls, conduct surveillance and enable rescuing of people stranded during crises.
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