PM Modi to visit Chennai to take stock of flood situation

Modi tweeted: "Leaving for Chennai to take stock of the situation arising due to the devastating floods."

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday made an aerial survey of the food-affected areas of the state.

Chennai remained cut off from the rest of the state with road, rail and air while the Centre declared the city as disaster zone.

Reports said though there has been no rain since Wednesday night, water level has been rising steadily in parts of the city and as many as  35 lakes are reportedly flowing at dangerous levels, raising fears of more flooding as surplus water is flowing into Chennai.

The Saidapet bridge over the Adyar river, which runs through the city, was closed to traffic yesterday as water spilled onto the road. The river is overflowing as surplus water from a lake was let into the river.

The Met office has said the next 48 hours will be crucial and the rains will continue for a week. Around 200 deaths have been reported since the floods started in the middle of last month.

The Chennai International airport will remain closed till December 6. The Rajali naval air station at Arakkonam, 70 km west of Chennai, will function as a makeshift airport.

The Navy's amphibious carrier, INS Airavat, has been moved to Chennai with medical equipment, medicines and doctors. The ship is also taking 20 divers and swimmers and 15 boats.

Schools, colleges and offices have been forced to close and exams have been postponed. The campuses of IIT Madras and Anna University are flooded.

 The state government has also asked all private firms to declare a holiday for employees on December 3, 4.

The heaviest rainfall in over a century caused massive flooding across Tamil Nadu, driving thousands from their homes, shutting auto factories and paralysing the airport in capital Chennai.