Army on standby in flood-hit TN

Chennai: Heavy rains continue to lash Tamil Nadu for the fourth day on Wednesday and the Met department says incessant rains and gusty winds won't let up on Thursday either.

Normal life in the metropolis and suburbs has come to a virtual standstill.

Several areas in the city are under knee-deep water and low-lying areas in north Chennai are inundated as the city recorded 20 cm of rains on Wednesday.

The Met department has forecast more rains due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Met officials stated that Wednesday's depression lay centred at about 400 kms east south east of Chennai at 0230 hours IST (0800 hours GMT).

The depression was likely to move in the northwesterly direction bringing heavy rainfall to many places in north coastal Tamil Nadu and south coastal Andhra Pradesh in the next 24 hrs.

Wind squalls with speeds of 55 to 65 kms were likely in north coastal Tamil Nadu and south coastal Andhra Pradesh.

The sea is very rough and fishermen have been advised not to venture into it.

The death toll in Tamil Nadu has crossed 60.

Pondicherry too has been experiencing non-stop rains since Wednesday night.

The administration has declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including private ones, today in view of the incessant rains.

Evacuation in process

Corporation officials have evacuated over 4000 people living in low-lying areas and lodged them in 250 corporation-run schools in various parts of the city.

The government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts where more rains have been forecast due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Most international flights scheduled to arrive at the city airport have been diverted to Thiruvananthapuram airport and departures are also likely to be delayed.

Rainwater had submerged tracks between Mamballam and Egmore stations in the suburban Tambaram-Chennai beach section disrupting rail traffic.

Most of the roads and subways were under water and motorists have been asked to avoid flooded roads.

Authorities are maintaining skeletal bus services even as most auto-rickshaws have gone off the roads.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner P Vijaykumar said a special control room had been opened to help the affected people.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has ordered relief operations and the Army is on standby.

(with inputs from Agencies)