Extreme Rain Alert For Chennai, School Shut Tomorrow

Although Cyclone Dithwa fizzled out without causing major damage along the Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh coasts, the deep depression it weakened into is now expected to unleash isolated extremely heavy rains over parts of the Chennai, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet districts, the meteorological department has warned.

With the system moving parallel to the Tamil Nadu coast, around 50 km from the shoreline, and heading towards south Andhra Pradesh, Chennai's Nungambakkam recorded 9 cm of rain in just 11 hours, signalling the start of what could be another challenging spell for the city.

Civic Body Claims Full Preparedness

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has asserted that the city is "fully prepared" to handle another prolonged rain spell. 

Officials say 215 relief centres have been readied across Chennai, each equipped with food, essential supplies, and basic medical support. Alongside these, 111 community kitchens have been activated to serve hot meals if residents need to be moved to shelters. 

The Corporation has also deployed more than 700 pumps, including large-capacity 100 HP motors and portable units, across known flood-prone locations to minimise water stagnation.

Additionally, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) - over 350 personnel in total - have been stationed across vulnerable zones for emergency response. 

The civic body has mobilised nearly 480 vehicles, including tree-cutting units, mechanised saws, rescue boats and power-saw-equipped rapid response units, to attend to complaints related to fallen trees, flooding and disruptions. Zonal teams and field volunteers, GCC says, are operating round the clock to handle distress calls and drainage issues.

Rain Holiday for Schools, Colleges

As a precaution, district administrations declared a rain holiday tomorrow for schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu, citing the extremely heavy rainfall alert.

City Still Struggles With Waterlogging

Despite the corporation's preparedness claims, several low-lying pockets in Chennai remained waterlogged after today's rains, raising fresh questions over the efficiency of the stormwater drains built over the last four years, a major DMK government project since 2021. The extreme rains could put this larger system to the test.