Chennai on alert with heavy rain warning: Schools shut, work from home advised

In view of the heavy rain prediction, the schools and colleges have been directed to stay closed in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts today.
Chief Minister MK Stalin also asked the information technology (IT) companies to allow the workers in these districts to work from home till October 18.
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 tons of bleach powder, 25 metric tons 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.”