Photos and videos by Vasudevan Sriram
Chennai: Cyclonic storm “Michaung” (pronounced as Migjaum) over Westcentral and adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts today intensified into Severe Cyclonic Storm over the same region. The India Meteorological Department has raised a ‘Red Message” cyclone warning for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining North Tamil Nadu- Puducherry coasts.
“Michaung” is likely to intensify gradually and move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross it between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla during the forenoon of December 5, 2023, as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.
In Chennai, heavy rains which started yesterday morning continued with high-speed wind today. The entire Chennai city is waterlogged.
“Stormwater drainage work by the municipal corporation started just 2 months back in our area is just half done. Hence situation in most parts of Chennai, including the Chennai corporation building is flooded. There is no respite,” resident Vasudevan Sriram told Global Bihari. In Perungudi locality, 30cm rainfall was recorded till 9.32 am today which was the highest rainfall recorded ever there. The water level had increased to knee-deep in the car park area and got into the lift in his apartment in the morning.
IMD forecasts light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with isolated extremely heavy falls and isolated heavy rainfall till tomorrow which is expected to decrease thereafter.
The Indian Railways has geared up its entire machinery in a big way to ensure and manage smooth and safe railway operations in the areas likely to be affected by the cyclonic storm. As part of preparedness for cyclone-related disaster management, it has set up an emergency control cell at the Divisional/Head Quarter level with officers from Operating, Commercial, Engineering, Electrical, Signal/Telecommunications, and Security branches in each shift, to monitor round-the-clock and take necessary action in connection with train operations. The war room at the board level has also been activated and monitoring of all locations is being done round-the-clock. Safety counsellors in each shift are also nominated to assist with the Emergency control. Additionally, all Field officers are available as directed by officials. The officers manning the Emergency control have been directed to liaison with the field officers and supervisors for smooth train operations and to keep a close watch on the movement of the cyclone and forecast issued by IMD and plan for train operations accordingly.
Health Unit, Chennai Division has also geared up its disaster management action plan and formed two teams. Team A including doctors and other on-duty staff would board the Self Propelled Accident Relief Train (SPART) at Platform No:11 as soon as the message arrives and will report to the Officer Incharge at the disaster /accident spot and start the relief work. Team B will report casualty and a part of the Team B will proceed by road. Remaining will stay back to inform all concerned, maintain communication with medical team A, Chief Medical Superintendent Office, would inform Local Railway Hospitals, Railway Hospital, Perambur and local Private hospitals for emergency preparedness.
Southern Railways and other concerned zones have also issued a list of General Instructions and emergency contact numbers for the masses in case of any exigency including phone numbers of Railway officials, Medical teams, Emergency vehicles, commercial control for public enquiry, tower wagon drivers along with list of DG sets, pumps, submersible sewage pumps etc. available at various stations. Water logging-prone locations have also been identified and various corrective actions have been taken at all such locations.
– global bihari bureau
