Cyclone Ditwah remnant batters Tamil Nadu; 4 dead, schools and colleges shut across districts

Chennai rain

A weakened remnant of cyclonic storm Ditwah stayed almost in the same position off the north Tamil Nadu coast on Tuesday, bringing another round of very heavy rain to Chennai and nearby districts.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system, which has now weakened into a depression, was hovering over the southwest Bay of Bengal, close to the coastline.

According to IMD’s special bulletin issued at 2 pm, the depression was located around 40 km east-southeast of Chennai, 120 km northeast of Puducherry and 140 km northeast of Cuddalore.

More districts on alert

Several areas in and around Chennai recorded extremely heavy rainfall. Ennore received about 26 cm of rain, followed by Parrys with 25 cm and Ice House with 22 cm. Manali New Town and Ponneri recorded 21 cm each. Other areas like Perambur, Basin Bridge, Red Hills, Medavakkam and Ayanavaram saw rainfall between 14 cm and 20 cm.

As the system weakens further and moves inland on Wednesday, the rain belt is expected to shift westward. Districts such as Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, while Theni, Dindigul, Tiruppur, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Salem and Namakkal have been placed under a heavy rain alert.

Large parts of Chennai and its suburban regions, including Vyasarpadi and other northern areas, remained waterlogged, with roads submerged and daily life badly affected.

Death toll rises to 4

Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said that so far, four people have lost their lives due to rain-related incidents in the state. In the latest incident, a person died in Villupuram due to electrocution.

He also said that at least 1,601 huts and tenements have been damaged by the heavy rain and strong winds. Large areas of farmland have been inundated, affecting crops across nearly 2.11 lakh acres.

In addition, around 582 cattle have died due to flooding. The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 20,000 per hectare for farmers whose crops have been destroyed.

Schools and colleges to remain shut

As a precautionary measure, officials in several districts have declared holidays for educational institutions. The Tiruvallur Collector announced that schools will remain closed on Wednesday due to continuous rainfall. In Chennai, both schools and colleges will be shut.

Similarly, authorities in Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts have also declared a holiday for schools and colleges.

Deputy CM reviews relief work in Chennai

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin visited the Greater Chennai Corporation’s Integrated Command and Control Centre to assess the situation. He reviewed ongoing relief efforts and the steps being taken to drain rainwater from flooded areas.

Officials briefed him about emergency response measures and the deployment of rescue teams and pumps in badly affected localities.