Chennai: The flood-ravaged Chennai is slowly limping back to normalcy with restoration of flight services, electricity, telecommunication, train connectivity and availability of essential items in many parts of Tamil Nadu.
In a major relief for Chennaiites, the MeT department has forecast dry and cloudy weather in the city on Monday. However slight rains have been forecast in southern and interior parts of the state.
Meanwhile, the Chennai airport has resumed 24 hours operations on Monday after a week of being shut down. The airport had been shut since Tuesday after the runaway got flooded and power lines collapsed.
The Chennai railway station has also resumed all services from both Chennai Central and Egmore as water levels in the Adyar and Cooum rivers receded enabling authorities to restore tracks on Sunday afternoon.
With rescue operations primarily over, the focus has now shifted to relief operations as the state now stares at the fear of epidemics.
Power supply has been restored in several areas, while it continued to be disconnected in many others where water has not receded as a measure of precaution. Ravaged by heavy rains last week which crippled services, several private and public sector banks operated on Sunday. A big chunk of private and public sector banks functioned to clear the backlog caused by the rains which had paralysed ATM services. As a precautionary measure, the state government has declared holidays for schools and colleges on Monday in the districts, including Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur.
All domestic and international flights from Chennai, both day and night, will resume from Monday morning after partial day-time services operated on Sunday."....availability of Chennai airport for all weather day and night operations for all flights for which domestic and international terminals will be available from 6 AM of 7.12.2015," an Airport Authority of India statement said late on Sunday evening.
This followed an inspection by DGCA for night operations, an AAI spokesman said. The airport was shut down last Tuesday night after heavy downpour flooded the runway and all other operating areas. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju is likely to visit Chennai airport today to make an on-the-spot inspection.
The Southern Railway has announced that 80 per cent trains, including long-distance, will be operational from Monday morning from both Chennai Central and Egmore terminals.
Anantharaman, a top Southern Railway official, told reporters that the railway bridge in Saidapet over Adyar had made a lateral shift and egineers and staff worked day and night to fix it.
At 1.45 PM, the clearance certificate was given after which Chennai Beach-Chenglepet services were resumed. In two or three days, 100 per cent normalcy will be restored from Chennai, he said.
The railways ran 70 special trains carrying 45,000 passengers to their destinations. In all, 560 trains were cancelled during the floods.
Meanwhile, airdropping of relief and aerial rescue efforts have been called off with overall improvement in the situation.
(With additional information from PTI)
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