Amid the heavy rains being experienced by Tamil Nadu, educational institutions have been closed in one particular district of the state, namely, Tirunelveli. Know all details..
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu has been struggling with extremely heavy rainfall with a red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in four districts of the state, namely, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukui and Tenkasi. Amid the heavy rains, announcement has been made regarding the closure of schools, but only in one district, as of now. Till December 19, announcement for closing of schools was made for all four affected districts, however, for December 20, it has been made for just one district. The heavy rains have caused great destruction, with people stranded, trains cancelled and flight operations disrupted.
Tamil Nadu Rains: Schools, Colleges Closed Today
As mentioned earlier, announcement regarding closing of schools has been made in Tamil Nadu due to the heavy rains, but only in one district. The announcement for closure of schools has been made only for Tirunelveli District and along with a holiday being declared, examinations scheduled for today have also been postponed, The district collector of Tirunelveli has said in an official tweet, ‘A holiday has been announced in all schools and colleges of Tirunelveli district tomorrow (20th December), The exams that were to be held are also postponed.’
IMD Issues Red Alert In Four Districts
Due to the excessively heavy rainfall in the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert in four districts. These districts are Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukui and Tenkasi. According to the regional meteorological centre (RMC), a cyclonic storm is being seen over Comorin area and the neighbourhood which is extending up to mid tropospheric levels.
Passengers Stranded In Thoothukudi District
As of the December 19, 500 train passengers are stranded in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, due to the heavy rains. A Chennai-bound train carrying 800 passengers had departed on December 17 from Tiruchendur but was terminated at around 9:19 PM at Srivaikuntam Station. Out of the 800 passengers, 300 were rescued by the district administration and shifted to government schools in close vicinity, however, the 500 passengers are still stranded, waiting to be evacuated as the overflowing bridge did not let the transportation of the remaining passengers be carried out.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Tuticorin and the State Government officials have been approached by the Southern Railway to offer maximum assistance in rescuing the passengers still stranded; the priority for now, is supplying them with food and water to the rescued passengers. 100 passengers have been provided food by the local residents while the other 200 have been given food packets by the State Police.