Schools and colleges to remain shut in Puducherry on November 27 due to heavy rainfall predictions

All government and private schools, government-aided schools and colleges in Puducherry and Karaikal will be closed on Wednesday, November 27, due to heavy rainfall predictions, Puducherry Education Minister Arumugam Namassivayam said on Tuesday, newswire ANI reported.

Parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry received heavy and extremely heavy rainfall on November 26. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday that heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected on November 28 and heavy rainfall on November 29.

Deep depression developing over Bay of Bengal

A deep depression has been developing over the Bay of Bengal and moving towards Sri Lanka. Beginning on Tuesday, November 26, this has resulted in intense rainfall in the region.

“The Depression over SouthwestBay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during past 6 hours, intensified into a deep depression and lay centred at 0830 hours IST of today, the 26th November 2024 over the same region near latitude 6.3°N and longitude 82.8°E, about 310 km southeast of Trincomalee, 590 km south-southeast of Nagappattinam, 710 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 800 km south-southeast of Chennai (SIC),” IMD said in a post on X.

The depression will continue to move north-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm on November 27; following this, it move towards the Sri Lanka Coast for two days, the post added.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in a few coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry due to heavy rainfall predicted from November 26 to November 28, reported PTI.

NDRF teams have been deployed to Karaikkal, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Nagapatnam, Maiyladuthurai, and Thanjavur. The teams are self-contained and have all the equipment required for search and rescue operations, communication and personal protection in emergencies. The NDRF's control room in Arakkonam is intensely monitoring the situation and making all efforts along with the State Emergency Operation Control Room in Tamil Nadu.

(With inputs from PTI)