Chennai floods: Heavy rains bring Indian city to standstill
Heavy showers and thunderstorms have caused severe flooding
in the southern Indian city of Chennai.
No deaths have been reported, but officials in the state of
Tamil Nadu, of which Chennai is the capital, have issued warnings to evacuate
people from low-lying areas.
Local media footage showed uprooted trees and cars submerged
as water quickly rose to block roads.
This is the heaviest rainfall in the city since 2015.
Although the city is frequently hit with heavy rains this
time of the year, experts say unchecked development and bad urban planning
leads to the destruction and chaos. Climate change caused by global warming has
also contributed to the problem, making extreme rainfall more likely and more
frequent.
On Sunday, parts of Chennai faced power cuts for several
hours as the power department shut off supply as a precautionary measure to
avoid incidents of electrocution.
Footage showed people being rescued on rubber boats as muddy
brown waters gushed into their homes. The National Disaster Response Force and
the army are helping in the rescue work.
Most of the main streets have been waterlogged since
Saturday, bringing the city to a standstill. Several people on social media
said the situation was as grim as the floods of 2015, when over 200 people had
lost their lives in the state.
Weather officials said on Sunday that heavy rains were
expected to continue for the next 48 hours in different parts of Tamil Nadu,
prompting authorities to declare a two-day holiday for educational
institutions.
All schools and colleges in Chennai and three neighbouring
districts will remain shut and officials have advised against travelling in the
hazardous conditions. Fishermen along the coast have also been asked not to
venture into the sea.
Chennai's municipality said it had opened up relief centres
and medical camps across the city and was distributing food to flood victims.
Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister MK Stalin said that Chennai,
along with 11 other districts, were affected by more than 20cm (8in) of
rainfall, according to ANI news agency, adding that he had asked all his
ministers to help in recovery efforts.
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