TN rain: Holiday declared for schools, colleges in Villupuram, Cuddalore

Chennai, Dec 4 A holiday has been declared for schools and colleges on Wednesday in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram and three panchayat unions of the Cuddalore district due to heavy rainfall and flooding along the banks of the Thenpennai River, where the water level has yet to recede.

In Puducherry, 22 schools are currently operating as relief camps to accommodate those affected by recent flooding caused by Cyclone Fengal. However, all other schools and colleges in the region will function as usual.

A flood alert has been issued to residents along the banks of the Cauvery River. The inflow to Hogenakkal surged from 5,500 cusecs on Monday to 30,000 cusecs by Tuesday at 4 p.m., following heavy rain in the catchment areas.

In Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri, Collector K. Shanthi has ordered the suspension of coracle services and bathing activities at Hogenakkal Falls. Residents along the Cauvery riverbanks have been advised to move to safer areas.

Joint teams comprising fire and rescue personnel, police, and revenue department authorities were patrolling the area to prevent people from entering the river for bathing or washing clothes.

The water level in Mettur Dam in Salem is expected to rise steadily in the coming days. On Monday, the inflow into the dam was 7,414 cusecs, which increased to 9,246 cusecs by Tuesday morning. The dam’s water storage level also rose slightly, from 110.93 feet on Monday to 111.39 feet on Tuesday. Despite the widespread rainfall, the water released from the dam has been kept low, with 1,000 cusecs for Delta irrigation and 300 cusecs for canal irrigation.

Since October 1, Tamil Nadu has received nearly 43 cm of rainfall this season, compared to the average of 36 cm.

The intense rainfall from Cyclone Fengal over the past two days has significantly reduced rain deficits across several districts.

Villupuram and Krishnagiri districts have recorded a surplus of 74 per cent and 78 per cent, respectively, in seasonal rainfall as of Tuesday (December 3).

The impact of Cyclone Fengal has been severe. In Tamil Nadu, 12 lives were lost in rain-related calamities.

A total of 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land were inundated., 1,649 km of electric conductors, 23664 electric poles, and 997 transformers were damaged, 9576 km of roads, 1847 culverts, and 417 tanks sustained damage, as per the reports. The heavy rain has displaced large populations, affecting around 69 lakh families.

Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi districts received over 50 cm of rainfall in a single day, equivalent to an entire season’s average, causing severe flooding and extensive damage to infrastructure and crops.