Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay visited Ripon Buildings on Sunday to review flood relief work after Chennai recorded 11 cm of rain. He asked ministers to return to the city to help. "While there was a forecast for heavy rain, we were not expecting a downpour of this scale," Sameeran said.

Chennai records average of 11 cm rainfall; heavy to very heavy showers likely for next 3 days; 219 flood-prone locations identified, 217 relief centres kept ready

CHENNAI: Following the extreme weather event that brought over 30 cm of rain to parts of Chennai overnight, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay visited Ripon Buildings on Sunday afternoon to monitor the flood control room and review mitigation measures. The city recorded an average rainfall of around 11 cm, with Parrys receiving the highest at 36.34 cm on Saturday night.

During the review meeting, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) officials told Vijay that 219 flood-prone locations had been identified and 1,189 pieces of equipment had been deployed for mitigation and emergency response, with 217 relief centres kept ready. Corporation Commissioner GS Sameeran said five of them were opened ahead of the rain for residents of old and dilapidated buildings.

Vijay had directed the seven ministers appointed as district in-charges to return to Chennai and join the monitoring. PWD and Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna, coordinator for all 15 zones in Chennai district, also inspected parts of the city. GCC Mayor R Priya was absent from Sunday's flood mitigation inspection.

At the review meeting, the CM congratulated the GCC officials for ensuring that most arterial roads stayed dry for the public on Sunday despite the heavy rain the previous night.

"While there was a forecast for heavy rain, we were not expecting a downpour of this scale," Sameeran told reporters. The corporation deployed 15,000 personnel through the night, as some areas received 36.34 cm of rain within four to five hours.

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There was inundation reported at Ram Nagar and AGS Colony in Velachery, Ganesapuram in Vyasarpadi, Mohan Kumaramangalam Street in Nungambakkam, Arunthathiyar Nagar in Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zone, Pattalam in Pulianthope and parts of Parrys. By 10 am, the water had cleared in most of them, except for a few like Ganesapuram.

Geetha Ganesh, a resident of AGS Colony, said water had accumulated up to two feet on some roads. "Our area collects the runoff from all the surrounding localities, and the roads in neighbouring areas are higher than ours. So, water needs to be pumped out during rain," she said, adding that civic officials had arrived promptly.

At Sundaram Street, near the Ganesapuram subway, where stormwater drain works were under way, barricading was inadequate and temporary walkways lacked handrails, residents told TNIE. Water had stagnated below knee level on Saturday night, they said, making it hard to spot the excavation sites.

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The subway itself continued to face water accumulation, and the narrow passage under the railway tracks connecting Arunthathiyar Nagar and Mettupalayam to Perambur AA Road remained inundated, stalling hundreds of vehicles.

Municipal Administration and Water Supply Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who inspected Pattalam, Pulianthope and Ganesapuram, said stormwater drains, canals and silt catch pits had been desilted over the past few months and pumps were draining low-lying areas that still faced stagnation. The 4th Battalion of the NDSF has been mobilised at AGS Colony with four inflatable boats, while a 50-member TN Disaster Response Force battalion is on standby.

Sameeran said the heavy rain was consistent with the pattern during strong El Niño years such as 2015-16 and 2023-24.

Sekarbabu questions TVK govt's rain preparedness; AMMK, PMK target flood management, waterlogging

Former DMK minister PK Sekarbabu on Sunday questioned the TVK government's preparedness to tackle heavy rainfall in Chennai, alleging that the administration had failed to take adequate precautionary measures despite advance warnings.

In a statement, Sekarbabu asked what preventive measures had been taken to tackle the monsoon, and whether appropriate steps had been taken to prevent rainwater from accumulating. AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran also criticised the government over waterlogging, while PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss demanded release of Thirupugazh Committee report on flood mitigation.