“Unprecedented torrential downpour in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu has led to total chaos thereby creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and panic not only for the trade, industry and other commercial activities but especially amid common individuals who are bearing heavy financial loss to their properties”, said D S Rawat, secretary general of Assocham.
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The India Meteorological Department said a slow-moving depression over southwest Bay of Bengal has triggered the fresh bout of heavy rain in Tamil Nadu, which is still smarting from a cyclonic storm that hit the state in November.
Massive flooding following record levels of rainfall in Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India, is forcing hundreds of individuals within the state capital of Chennai out of their homes.
Meanwhile, normal life continue to be impacted in the flood-hit Chennai while there was temporary respite for the citizens as the rains stopped since Wednesday night.
The state government cut power to several parts of Chennai as a safety measure to prevent electrocutions.
A senior federal official said more than 700 people had been critically injured and were rushed to government hospitals by paramilitary forces.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Chennai and its suburbs. Images of people stranded on roof tops and in boats have gone viral.
Chennai, India’s fourth most populous city, is a major auto manufacturing and IT outsourcing hub.
Chennai Airport will remain closed till Friday.
“The biggest challenge is to find a way to clear the inundated airport and main roads”, said Anurag Gupta at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in New Delhi.
A Navy official involved in the rescue efforts said that most of the places are flooded and lot of efforts are going on both on the ground and by air.
India suffers severe flooding every year during the annual monsoon rains from June to September.
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The prime minister cited the floods as a outcome of climate change in his weekly radio address on Sunday, a day before meeting other world leaders at a global climate summit in Paris. “Those with big vehicles are driving around rescuing people”, she said by telephone. Army has been deployed for round-the-clock rescue and relief operations.
