INCESSANT rains in Bengaluru, Chennai and many places in Andhra Pradesh had thrown normal life out of gear with waterlogging and traffic congestion in several parts of the States. Disaster response force personnel have been deployed in Bengaluru following a heavy rain forecast. In the last 24 hours till 8.30 am on Wednesday, Bengaluru city received 66.1 mm rainfall, officials said. Schools in Bengaluru Urban district will remain shut on Wednesday, while many information technology, biotechnology and private companies permitted their employees to work from home, officials said. Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said about 60 personnel drawn from the National Disaster Response Force and Karnataka State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the city. “We are redeploying another 40 personnel to be on stand by for any necessity. We have put Fire and Emergency Services on stand by for immediate response,” he said. Bengaluru Metro services were also briefly disrupted on the purple line due to “tree obstruction.” However, the maintenance team cleared it.

 

The South Western Railway on Wednesday cancelled several trains due to waterlogging over tracks on the up fast line over Bridge number 114 between Basin Bridge Jn.(Chennai) and Veysarpadi stations. Rains ceased on Wednesday in most parts of northern Tamil Nadu including Chennai, bringing respite to people, while Chief Minister M K Stalin said relief work is being carried out. Stalin announced that on October 16 and 17, food will be provided free of cost in Amma canteens in Chennai to support poor and ordinary people. The CM in a post on ‘X’ said that releif work is on in full swing in areas affected by heavy rains on Tuesday. The Greater Chennai Corporation has housed people living in low lying areas in relief centres and all support is being extended to them, including food. The IMD said the depression over Bay of Bengal is now about 360 km east-southeast of Chennai, 390 km east of Puducherry and 450 km southeast of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.

 

“It is likely to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu - South Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puducherry and Nellore, close to Chennai during early morning of 17th October,” the department said in a post on ‘X.’ Intermittent heavy rains lashed Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday; by late night it completely ceased. Earlier, heavy rains lashed several parts of Andhra Pradesh in the wake of the well-marked low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which moved from the southeast part of the sea towards west and northwestward direction and lay there on Tuesday morning. The IMD had forecast vigorous monsoon activity in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on Tuesday, with fairly widespread rainfall distribution. A similar weather pattern was also forecast for the Rayalaseema region with widespread rainfall.