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More rainfall expected in coastal Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The Meteorological department has forecast more rainfall across coastal districts in Tamil Nadu following formation of a new weather system in the Bay of Bengal. The department had sounded red alert in a few western and southern districts following a system in the Arabian Sea on Monday.

On Tuesday, the red alert was withdrawn but with a forecast for heavy rainfall in these areas.

“Districts along the Western Ghats, including the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Dinidgul and Theni, will continue to receive heavy rainfall,” said Area Cyclone Warning Centre director S Balachandran.

“Heavy rain is also likely in Chennai, Villupuram, Cauvery delta districts, Ramanathapuram and Puducherry among others,” said Balachandran. Rain across Tamil Nadu is likely to continue till October 26, the eve of Deepavali. Dams in the southern districts were replenished with the water level in Mullaiperiyar dam, which was receding last week, rising and touching 126 feet.

Meanwhile, the state government sanctioned ?40 crore to purchase additional equipment, special machinery and to meet any contingency arising out of the northeast monsoon. In a review meeting held with officials at the Secretariat on Tuesday, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami issued a slew of instructions including deputing 50 police personnel trained by the state disaster response force and additional manpower from the fire and rescue services department to the Nilgiris district.

“The CM also ordered national disaster response force teams be kept ready for deployment to affected areas,” an official release said. The PDS outlets should have sufficient stocks of essential commodities for two months to avoid any shortage during disasters. Also, the monitoring officers appointed for each district should continuously monitor the precautionary measures taken in their respective districts, while the department secretaries and heads will have to coordinate to prevent deaths and destruction. “Due to the systems in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, Tamil Nadu districts will receive rainfall for the next two days,” Balachandran said. The low pressure area over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal would intensify in the next 24 hours and move northnorthwestwards, he said.

While the Arabian Sea system is likely to become a cyclone and move towards Oman, the system in Bay of Bengal will gain strength and bring heavy to very heavy rainfall in north coastal Tamil Nadu in the next two days.

Meanwhile, Madurai and the southern districts have been experiencing mild to heavy showers in the past 24 hours and there has been a marginal rise in the water level in major dams in the region. Pamban in Ramanathapuram district received the highest rainfall of 183 mm. Madurai and the suburbs received an average rainfall of 7.6mm.

The Salem district administration has issued a flood alert to Cauvery river pathways in the district and downstream after water was released from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur.

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