Flood fears rise in Karnataka and Andhra also

CHENNAI: Incessant rain and overflow of water from Cauvery river in Karnataka have brought flooding to Tamil Nadu after the devastation in neighbouring Kerala, but reports from Bengaluru and Vijayawada say Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are also in the shadow of furious looding.

The MET Department has announced the formation of a new low pressure area over Bay of Bengal, reviving the prospects of rains again in Chennai.

The MET said, “A low pressure area has formed over northwest bay of Bengal and neighbourhood. It is likely to become more marked during next 24 hours. In wake of this, sky condition in Chennai is likely to be generally cloudy in the next 24 hours and development of thunderclouds towards evening or night is also possible while light rain is likely to occur in some areas.”

The city had been without rain, but temperature has remained at a pleasant level. Other parts of the state, however, are likely to record more showers, the Met said.

Heavy rain Rains continued in the ghat regions, the MET said. “In the last 24 hours, Devala recorded a maximum rainfall of 4 cm followed by Valparai which received 3 cm. Naduvattam and Chinnakalar recorded 2 cm each while G Bazar and Pollachi recorded 1 cm each.”

Tamil Nadu sounded a lood alert for 13 districts on Sunday. Major rivers, including Cauvery, were in spate in the state, inundating low-lying areas along the banks. Heavy discharges were being made from dams due to inlows from Karnataka. That has led to looding in low-lying areas.

According to oficial data, nearly 14,000 people have been shifted to relief camps in different districts so far in the state.

In Karnataka, areas such as Somawarpet, Suntikoppa, Mukkodlu and Madapur have been witnessing heavy rains since August 14. More than 3,500 people were rescued in Kodagu district, where six people lost their lives in loods and landslides in the past few days.

In Andhra Pradesh, heavy rains disrupted normal life on Sunday in Vijayawada and other parts of Krishna district, Eluru in West Godavari and Visakhapatnam district. Heavy rains caused water-logging and disrupted trafic. Educational institutes were closed on Monday following heavy rains forecast in both Krishna and West Godavari districts.