Due to the continuous Cyclone Fengal-induced heavy rainfall, all government and government-aided schools, private schools and all colleges in Puducherry will remain closed on Tuesday, December 3, Education Minister A Namassivayam has said. The decision came after Puducherry received 50 centimetres of rainfall overnight, the highest in the last 30 years.
Schools have also been closed in the Uthangarai and Pochampalli of Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu due to the floods. The flood caused by Cyclone Fengal has destroyed 1,29,000 hectares of crops in the districts of Villupuram, Kallakurichi and Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. Annamalai University also cancelled all its scheduled examinations on December 3 in Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Cuddalore, and Kallakurichi districts. The exams will be held at a later date.
A Yellow Alert remains in place in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Goa, and Karnataka on December 3. An Orange Alert was issued for Kerala owing to forecasts of isolated heavy rainfall on Tuesday. Coastal Karnataka, too, is scheduled to is likely to receive heavy rainfall in isolated areas. A Red Alert was issued in the northern Karnataka districts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram, while an Orange Alert was issued in the Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki, Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts. Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta remained on a yellow alert.
An NDRF team is on standby due to a red alert in Wayanad. A total of five NDRF teams are stationed in Kerala.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture along and off the coasts of Kerala and Karnataka on Tuesday.
Lakshadweep is scheduled to get isolated rainfall on December 4 and 5, due to which fishermen in the Lakshadweep area have also been warned against venturing out into the sea on December 4, 5, and 6.
Meanwhile, railway operations were suspended in several areas of Tamil Nadu.
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