Chennai: Heavy rains brought the city to a virtual standstill as last minute Diwali shoppers faced a harrowing time wading through knee-deep water in busy streets even as two people lost their lives due to a wall collapse in the state.
Continuous rains today clogged roads leading to traffic snarls, affecting free movement in the shopping areas here.
The victims — identified as Sevagaperumal and Vignesh lost their lives in Melur near Madurai on Sunday night, after a hollow-block compound wall fell on them following heavy rainfall.
It also left two others seriously injured, an official release said.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, while extending her deep condolences to the bereaved family members, announced a sum of Rs 4 lakh each to the victims’ family from the disaster relief fund.
While expressing speedy recovery to the injured, she also released a sum of Rs 50,000 for them from the Chief Minister’s Fund.
Meanwhile, the forecast for the ongoing North East Monsoon states the deep depression over Bay of Bengal will cross Cuddalore, about 180 km from here, in the next few hours with accompanying gusty winds.
The deep depression lay “110km east-southeast of Puducherry and 180km southeast of Chennai. The wind speed is expected to be between 55-65kmph, gusting up to 75kmph,” an official at the Regional Meteorological Department told PTI.
The unabated rains here also inundated subways connecting suburban Chennai to the main parts of the city.
Monday morning office-goers, especially women, and senior citizens stirring out for Diwali shopping had a harrowing time as they were faced with knee-deep water in many areas. Several vehicles broke down on the flooded roads and people were seen giving these a push.
Meanwhile, firecrackers in some areas were reportedly being sold at discounted prices over the likely assumption that heavy rain would deter buyers.
With schools closed today, children would surely be praying for clear skies so that they may burst crackers ahead of Diwali.
Adding to the citizens’ rain woes, branches of some trees that broke due to the lashing by gusty winds since last night fell on overhead electricity wires and caused power disruption in many areas.
The weather office said that Diwali day may be no different with heavy rainfall likely in some areas along with isolated extremely heavy rainfall over North Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry tomorrow.
The festival of lights is being celebrated in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. (PTI)
