Heavy rain alert: Holiday declared for schools, colleges in Puducherry

Puducherry, Oct 22 (IANS) In view of the heavy rain warning issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Puducherry government has declared a holiday for all educational institutions in the Puducherry and Karaikal regions on Wednesday.

Home and Education Minister A. Namassivayam announced that all government and private schools, as well as colleges in the two regions, will remain closed as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students.

The northeast monsoon, which has intensified over the region, has brought continuous downpours since Monday night, prompting authorities to issue advisories urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas.

Further updates regarding the reopening of institutions will depend on the evolving weather situation, the minister added.

Meanwhile, following similar alerts, several coastal districts of Tamil Nadu have also declared holidays for educational institutions on Wednesday.

In Chennai, only schools -- both government and private -- will remain closed, while in Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Thanjavur, Kallakurichi, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, and Thiruvallur districts, both schools and colleges have been ordered shut as a precautionary measure.

The IMD has issued a Red Alert for Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, and Karaikal (Union Territory), forecasting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

An orange alert has been sounded for Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kallakurichi, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and Kanniyakumari districts, warning of heavy to very heavy rains over the next 48 hours.

According to the IMD, the deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal, formed early Tuesday morning around 5:30 a.m., is expected to intensify further within the next 24 hours.

The system is moving in a west-northwest direction toward the northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and southern Andhra Pradesh coasts, and could strengthen into a low-pressure zone before making landfall between the Tamil Nadu–Andhra coastline.

Strong winds reaching 45–55 kmph, gusting up to 65 kmph, are expected along the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea due to rough conditions.

District administrations have been placed on high alert, with disaster response teams deployed across coastal areas. The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) has directed officials to ensure relief camps are operational and equipped to handle possible flooding and power disruptions.

Authorities urged residents in vulnerable areas to remain indoors and adhere strictly to weather advisories as the deep depression continues to intensify over the Bay of Bengal.

--IANS

aal/dpb