Narendra Modi announces another Rs 1000-cr for Tamil Nadu, Met expects more rains

Modi in Chennai to take stock; Jayalalithaa conducts aerial survey

New Delhi:

The heaviest rainfall in more than 100 years has devastated swathes of Tamil Nadu, with thousands forced to leave their submerged homes and schools, offices and a regional airport shut for a second day Thursday.

At least 269 people had been killed in the state since heavy rains started in the beginning of November, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, although no deaths have been reported in the latest deluge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveyed the destruction and flooding from an air force helicopter. Modi also met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to discuss the flood situation. The Prime Minister announced another Rs 1,000 crore assistance to the rain-hit state. "The Government of India stands by people of Tamil Nadu. I have directed Rs 1000 crore be released immediately for relief," said Modi.

WATCH: PM Modi meets Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa and Governor K Rosaiah at INS Adyar #ChennaiFloods pic.twitter.com/xE8ojCLAUU

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 3, 2015

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa too went on an aerial survey and then met state officers to discuss relief.

An aerial view of Chennai showed low-lying neighbourhoods as well the city's airport almost completely submerged. The Airport Authority of India said that the airport was likely to be closed until Sunday.

Taking stock, on the ground...PM taking overview of flood relief operations at INS Rajali, Arakkonam. pic.twitter.com/XY1qm3fwfE

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 3, 2015

Dozens of trains to the state have been delayed this week, and on Thursday the main train station was so heavily flooded that it had to shut down operations. Singh said that railways officials convened an emergency meeting to get the station back on track quickly.

Even though hundreds of Army, navy and local police and fire department rescuers were helping evacuate those trapped in their homes, Twitter and other social media were flooded with calls for help from across the city.

Most of those still trapped were either the elderly or people with very young children.

The state government cut power to several parts of Chennai as a safety measure to prevent electrocutions. Most deaths in the last month of rains have been due to drowning, electrocution and wall collapses.

The Centre has described the situation in Chennai as "worrisome" and promised all possible support to the state government in the hour of crisis. Modi had earlier spoken to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to promise all possible support. Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Lok Sabha that 40 per cent of telephone and mobile connections were not working in the state.

WATCH: PM Modi conducts aerial survey of flood affected areas #ChennaiFloods pic.twitter.com/I8jEn7dEFx

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 3, 2015

For the first time in over 40 years, the water has risen rapidly on the river breaching the road and the Maraimalai Adigal bridge in Saidapet cutting the arterial Anna Salai (Mount Road), rendering it out of bounds for motorists.

"I can't even believe that this much water was possible in Chennai," one woman told a television channel as she stood in waist-deep water in the state capital.

"We don't have any food. We don't have any milk," she said, adding that she had stepped out to see if she could find a shop selling some food. "But I'm scared to walk down this road. The water comes up almost to my hips."

Chennai has received more than 330 millimeters (13 inches) of rain over the last 24 hours, which is significantly higher than the regional average for the entire month of December, Singh said.

While the downpour eased early Thursday, the Indian Meteorological Department has predicted more heavy rain in several parts of the state through the rest of the week. The rains have been caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, the agency said.

The Centre said it was making "all possible efforts" to provide succour and relief to the people of rain battered Chennai and other areas in Tamil Nadu.

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the central government was in touch with the state government and the Union Home Secretary was continuously monitoring the situation in affected areas.

"I have spoken to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. Centre is providing all assistance and will continue to help. Naval and Army forces have been mobilised and we have arranged helicopters but we can fly them in only after the situation improves. We are trying to reach wherever possible," he told reporters outside Parliament.

The Union Urban Development Minister said the Chennai airport was shut and public transport heavily affected.

"People have left their homes, power supply has been halted as a precautionary measure and schools closed... it is not a good situation. The government is making all possible effort to provide help to the poor and the middle class... I appreciate that the residents of Chennai are helping each other," he said.

Rains abated in Chennai on Thursday giving relief to people tormented by the heavy downpour of the last three days but excessive discharge of water last night from Chembarambakkam lake on the outskirts flooded new areas of the city threatening to uproot people from their homes.

The fresh flooding of the streets in the heart of the city in areas like Kodambakkam and T. Nagar and Ashok Nagar has been caused by the release of an estimated 30,000 cusecs of water from the Chembarambakkam lake, one of city's source of drinking water.

For the first time in over 40 years, water has risen rapidly on the Adyar river breaching the road and the Maraimalai Adigal bridge in Saidapet. Water has cut off the arterial Anna Salai Road, rendering it out of bounds for motorists.

India's main monsoon season runs from June through September, but the period between October to December -- also called the retreating monsoon -- brings the most rainfall to southeastern coastal areas.

The extreme weather in Chennai comes as heads of state are meeting in Paris to try and work out a new treaty to limit global warming and deal with its effects. However, experts say the floods in the city are most directly linked to the El Nino weather pattern, when the waters of the Pacific Ocean get warmer than usual.

"This year saw the strongest El Nino ever recorded," said G.P. Sharma, vice president of meteorology at Skymet, a private weather forecaster. He said that was indicative of an extremely heavy retreating monsoon.

El Nino is one of the factors India's government-run Met office takes into account while forecasting the monsoon. This year, India had a weaker than usual summer monsoon, as it does in an El Nino year.