Tamil Nadu rains updates: Three die, schools and colleges shut; 500 rail passengers stranded

Heavy downpours have lashed Tamil Nadu, leading to a trail of devastation. The relentless rain has claimed at least three lives, forced the closure of schools and colleges, and left around 500 rail passengers stranded in flooded stations. Additional three people are feared to have lost their lives. The situation remains critical, with authorities urging caution and vigilance.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert today for Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Tenkasi, marking them as the most impacted districts in the state. The weather department forecasts light to moderate rainfall at isolated locations in northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal.

Relentless rainfall has resulted in the stranding of around 500 passengers at Srivakuntam railway station, compelling the Southern Railway to halt operations temporarily. Efforts are currently in progress to resume traffic and facilitate the evacuation of stranded passengers.

Severe floods have posed challenges for National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to access delayed passengers at the railway station, but NDRF officials ensure that required efforts will be done to handle the situation.

A widespread impact on power supply, mobile phone connectivity, and public transportation has been witnessed across several districts in Tamil Nadu. The heavy rainfall in recent days has resulted in submerged paddy fields, roads, bridges, and residential areas. Breaches in lakes and flooding have led to severed road links in various places.

In response to the challenging situation, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts have declared a holiday, prompting the closure of schools and colleges in Kanyakumari and Tenkasi. The Indian Army has actively engaged in evacuating people from flood-affected areas and providing crucial medical assistance to those in need.

"On Monday night, troops assisted the rescue of over 100 people, including 54 women, a pregnant lady and 19 children near Thoothukudi. Medical care and life support was provided to them," the Defence PRO Chennai said in a post on X.

According to PTI, the governor RN Ravi will meet with senior officials from government agencies and the military forces on Tuesday at Raj Bhavan in Chennai to examine the situation in flood-affected regions and mobilise as many resources as possible for rescue and relief operations.

The heavy rainfall in southern Tamil Nadu has significantly increased the storage levels in major dams and reservoirs. According to the government, the storage in Manimuthar dam reached 83.10 per cent, while Papanasam and Servalar dams recorded 89.54 per cent and 80.73 per cent storage respectively. 

Vadakku Pachayiyar and Nambiyar dams reached full capacity at 100 per cent. In Kodumudiyar and Kadananadhi, the storage levels were reported at 88.25 per cent and 89.88 per cent respectively. Due to copious inflows, surplus water is being released from these dams. The majority of these dams are situated in Tirunelveli district.

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