Chennai: Due to heavy rainfall and flooding along the Thenpennai River, schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram and three panchayat unions in Cuddalore have been given a holiday today.
In Puducherry, 22 schools are currently serving as relief camps for those displaced by recent flooding caused by Cyclone Fengal, but other educational institutions in the area will remain open.
A flood alert has been issued for residents living along the Cauvery River. The inflow to Hogenakkal has surged from 5,500 cusecs on Monday to 30,000 cusecs by Tuesday afternoon due to heavy rains in the catchment areas.
In Dharmapuri, Collector K. Shanthi has suspended coracle services and bathing at Hogenakkal Falls, advising residents along the Cauvery to seek safer locations. Joint teams of fire and rescue personnel, police, and revenue department officials are patrolling the area to prevent people from entering the river for bathing or washing clothes.
The water level in the Mettur Dam in Salem is expected to rise in the coming days, with inflows increasing from 7,414 cusecs on Monday to 9,246 cusecs by Tuesday morning. The dam’s water storage level also rose slightly from 110.93 feet to 111.39 feet. Despite the heavy rainfall, water releases from the dam have been kept low, at 1,000 cusecs for Delta irrigation and 300 cusecs for canal irrigation.
Since October 1, Tamil Nadu has recorded nearly 43 cm of rainfall this season, surpassing the average of 36 cm. The intense rainfall from Cyclone Fengal over the past two days has significantly alleviated rain deficits in several districts, with Villupuram and Krishnagiri reporting surpluses of 74% and 78%, respectively, as of December 3.
The impact of Cyclone Fengal has been devastating, resulting in 12 fatalities due to rain-related incidents. Additionally, approximately 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land have been flooded, and significant damage has occurred to infrastructure, including 1,649 km of electric lines, 23,664 electric poles, and 997 transformers. Roads, culverts, and tanks have also suffered extensive damage, affecting around 69 lakh families across the state. Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi districts experienced over 50 cm of rainfall in just one day, equivalent to an entire season’s average, leading to severe flooding and widespread destruction.