International flights resume from Chennai Airport

The Chennai Airport has become fully operational from this morning, as airliners are resuming their domestic and international flights from there. Civil Aviation authorities have said, the airport that was shut down last Wednesday due to heavy inundation is now ready for operation day and night. With this, the city has got integrated with all modes of transport that were hugely affected by the recent floods.

There has been fresh spells of rain in Chennai and its suburbs and Cuddalore district yesterday. The weather officials have said that a new trough of low pressure in South West Bay of Bengal in combination with the existing low pressure area off Kanyakumari coast would bring rain in the state with the possibility of isolated heavy downpour in north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the next twenty four hours. The death toll due to flood-related incidents in Tamil Nadu is feared to have crossed 325. 

In the rain-devastated Chennai and its suburbs,



the Army has over sixty teams including medical units undertaking relief measures for those who are living in areas that are still engulfed by water and those in temporary shelters. Indian Coast Guard made ten air sorties yesterday and dropped about two tonnes of relief materials in coordination with the state authorities. Navy distributed more than two tonnes of essential items through aerial and road means. The NDRF personnel are continuing their biggest ever rescue and relief operations in Tamil Nadu. Educational institutions are given leave in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallu and Cuddalore districts today as well. 

Meanwhile in Tamil Nadu, heavy rain in interior parts of the state has led to flood alerts in many districts including Theni, Tirupur Karur and Tirunelveli. The level of Mullaperiyar Dam level is expected to reach 142 feet today. Heavy rain in interior Tamil Nadu has led to excess waters being released from Amaravathy and Papanasam dams.