Cyclonic storm 'Fengal' will likely make landfall on November 30 afternoon, near Puducherry, with wind speed reaching up to 90 kmph, the India Meteorological Department said on November 29.
It is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Earlier today, the met department had said that the deep depression has intensified into a cyclonic storm.
With Fengal (pronounced as Feinjal) all set to cross coast, the Tamil Nadu government has appealed to people to stay indoors and declared November 30 a holiday for educational institutions; IT companies too were requested to allow employees to work from home. Public transport has been suspended on the East Coast Road and Old Mahabalipuram Road in Chennai tomorrow afternoon.
Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran held a meeting at the state emergency operations centre with senior officials to review preparatory and relief measures. An official release said: "Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority urges the general public to avoid visiting beaches, amusement parks and attending recreational events. The general public are requested to cooperate fully with the disaster prevention measures taken by the Government of Tamil Nadu."
Additionally, construction companies have been directed to take precautionary measures to ensure that equipment, machinery does not fall down. Similarly, those who had erected advertisement hoardings must ensure that these were swept away.
According to an IMD update (8.40 pm on Friday), Fengal was about 240 km east-northeast of Nagappattinam, 230 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 250 km southeast of Chennai.
Further, it said: "It is likely to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during the afternoon 30th November." On December 1, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in interior Tamil Nadu, and on December 2 and 3, heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in the state.
As many as 2,229 relief camps have been made ready for use in case the need arises, the state government said, adding that a total of 471 people belonging to 164 families have been accommodated in six relief centres in Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts so far.
Boats, generators, motor pumps and all other necessary machinery and equipment are ready in districts and NDRF and state teams have been deployed wherever needed, including Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Chengelpet and Chennai.
Senior officials assigned to supervise and coordinate related tasks with district authorities are stationed in their respective districts.
Chennai and nearby districts of Chengelpet, Kanchipuram, and Tiruvallur and the delta districts including Mayiladuthurai, Nagappatina, and Tiruvarur witnessed light to moderate rainfall and a few places recorded heavy showers.
(With PTI inputs)
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