Tamil Nadu School Safety: Minister Issues Rain SOPs Amid Heavy Downpour

Speaking to reporters, Poyyamozhi stated that teachers have been instructed to strictly adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) during periods of heavy rainfall. "Usually, during the rainy season, teachers in schools are given instructions on SOPs -- for instance, if water stagnates, they must contact the nearby Public Works Department (PWD) officer to drain it using a motor; and if there are borewells, they should be properly covered," he said.

He added that orders have been issued to conduct inspections in schools to identify and rectify any electrical leakages to prevent accidents.

The minister further said that District Collectors across the state have been authorised to declare holidays for schools depending on the intensity of rainfall and local conditions.

Several districts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry continued to receive heavy rainfall on today as a well-marked low-pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal showed signs of intensification, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) reported.

The system, which moved northwestward from off the north coast of Sri Lanka, was centred near the Tamil Nadu coast on Wednesday morning. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it is likely to intensify into a depression over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, off the north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts, during the next 12 hours. It is expected to move inland across northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and southern Andhra Pradesh within the next 12 hours.

Meanwhile, another well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea has intensified into a depression. The system is positioned about 630 km west-southwest of Aminidivi (Lakshadweep) and 1020 km southwest of Panjim (Goa). According to IMD, the depression is likely to move slowly north-northwestwards during the next 24 hours.

Widespread rainfall has already been reported across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

- ANI