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Chennai: Chennai is preparing for Northeast monsoon that arrived last week and began Monday with incessant and heavy rain in many parts of the city and coastal areas of Tamil Nadu.

Already in several places in the state complaints of water logging are coming. Farmers in Nagapattinam that witnessed the highest rainfall of 9 mm Monday morning said that the standing crop is already under water and would perish. “Earlier the crop perished due to lack of water and now they will perish because of water,” a farmer told a private television channel.

But in Chennai, heavy rain since morning in different parts of the city affected normal light with traffic snarls and water logging being reported from few parts.

The met office has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next five days. Fishermen in some coastal areas did not venture out for fishing due to rough sea.

But the weatherman has calmed Chennai’s fears saying that “the city will have 6 mm to 7 mm rain over the next couple of days unlike in 2015 when Chennai received the largest quantum of rainfall in a day (Deember1) over and above three times the normal rainfall entire November of 2015, causing heavy flooding that threw normal life in the city out of gear

The city administration has also taken steps to face the situation. Chennai corporation commissioner D Kartikeyan told media persons that already desilting of 1174 km of drains has been carried out. Besides, corporation workers would be available round the clock for handling water logging and stagnation.

When it came to government schools, that were let off one hour early today, the administration will take a decision whether to close schools tomorrow after watching the quantum of rain today and reviewing the situation tomorrow morning.

The entire coastal Tamil Nadu will be witnessing heavy to very heavy rain over the next five days. This includes the neighbouring state of Puducherry.