Cyclone grounds Chennaiites

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Cyclone Nilam has left not just roads battered, but oprooted 132 trees in the city and at least five electric poles went down unable to withstand the gusty winds.

Vehicular movement was at snail’s pace as motorists fou­nd in really difficult to stay on course wi­th gale speed touching nearly 100 km per hour as the storm crossed the shore.

City traffic police advised motorists and pedestrians to be cautious while using the road and look out for fallen trees.

According to Corpo­ration sources, more than 100 trees were uprooted in at least 30 places including T. Nagar, Mylapore and Adyar. Traffic came to a halt along the busy Radh­akrishnan Salai for over an hour after a tree fell on a car near a popular restaurant.

Besides, places such as Old Mah­abali­puram Road, Ma­ndaveli, Vela­chery, Porur junction and Korattur have to suffer heavy waterlogging. Civic staff pumped out water from 14 subways that experienced inundation.

“As part of the relief measures, the Cor­poration staff distributed 15,000 bread pac­kets and food to 16,000 inhabitants of low-lying areas such as Nochikuppam, Do­m­mikuppam and Pattinapakkam,” sa­id a senior official.

“As many as 400 places prone to wa­ter­logging were identified and measures were taken to prevent flooding,” he added.

Municipal administration and rural development minister K.P. Munusamy insp­ected food preparation in corporation community kitc­h­ens in Pera­mbur, Basin Bridge, Gopalapuram and Chinthadripet.

Minister for social welfare department B. Valarmathi, May­or Saidai S. Dura­isamy and corporation commissioner D. Karth­ikeyan also took part in the inspection of community kitchens in the city.