Sun shines bright on Chennai

New Delhi: Chennai, battered by rains two days ago, is limping back to normal, though several sub-ways and low-lying areas were still under water.

The repercussions of monsoon fury continue. Rain water has flooded large parts of the city submerging houses and destroying homes.

Relief operations have been taken up on a war footing in Chennai and two neighbouring districts with nearly two lakh people being evacuated and housed in relief centres.

After reviewing the flood situation in the city and neighbouring Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts on Sunday, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said that around 1.75 lakh people had been evacuated.

Jayalalitha asked for more relief saying the aid of Rs five billion announced by the federal government was not enough.

According to meteorological sources, the low-pressure area has now moved and there is no immediate danger of any depression.

However, the department has forecast rain or thundershowers at many places over Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry till December 6.

Observing that heavy spells of rain within a month had caused enormous flooding of a complex nature, Jayalalithaa said the entire administrative machinery had been geared up to tackle this massive challenge.

Jayalalithaa said that she had directed Rural Industries Minister B Valarmathi and Handlooms and Textiles Minister V Somasundaram to supervise relief operations in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts respectively.

"The inflow into Chembarambakkam lake on the outskirts continues to be high even today at 12,000 cusecs due to heavy rain in Sriperumbudur. If there is no further rainfall in the catchments area, the water in Adyar will come down by Tuesday and the situation is being monitored closely," she added.

Five lakh food packets were distributed on Sunday to the affected people. In Tiruvallur district, all lakes had filled up and the heavy rain on Friday had resulted in breaches to 35 tanks.

Nearly 80,000 people were given food packets in 73 relief camps.

DMK Chief M Karunanidhi and BJP Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu visited some flood-hit areas in the city.

The rain and storms has claimed over 250 lives in Chennai with flooding roads, snapping power and phone lines and disrupting flights.