Chennai on alert for heavy rain, schools shut, work from home advised

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has asked the information technology (IT) companies to allow their employees to work from home till October 18, amid a heavy rain alert.

In Short

• IT employees advised to work from home till October 18
• Heavy rain predicted across Tamil Nadu, orange alert issued
• Monsoon preparedness reviewed by the Chief Minister, pumps and motorboats on standby

The Tamil Nadu government has directed the schools and colleges to stay closed in the state's Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts on Tuesday, October 15, given the heavy rain prediction.

State Chief Minister MK Stalin also asked the information technology (IT) companies to allow the employees in these districts to work from home till October 18.

The District Magistrates (DM) of the four districts said they were fully geared up to cope with the situation arising due to inundation.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rain across Tamil Nadu over the next three days.

"Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal between October 12-16, with the most intense downpours likely on October 14-15. An orange alert has been issued from October 14-16," the IMD said.

The weather department stated that a low-pressure area formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal at 5.30 am on Monday.

This system is expected to intensify into a well-marked low-pressure area and move northwest towards the northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and southern Andhra Pradesh coasts over the next two days.

On Monday, the Chief Minister convened a meeting to review monsoon preparedness.

In the meeting, the Chennai Corporation Commissioner stated that 990 pumps and 57 tractors equipped with pump sets are on standby. Additionally, 36 motorboats, 46 metric tonnes of bleach powder, 25 metric tonnes of lime powder, and phenol have been prepared for immediate use.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin conducted a survey of Narayanapuram lake banks and Ambedkar road canals on Monday in the wake of the heavy rain forecast.

Taking to X, he stated, "As heavy rains are falling in various parts of Chennai, as per the directions of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin, we conducted a survey on the banks of Narayanapuram Lake between Pallikaranai and Kovilambakkam."