People cross a flooded street in rain affected Chennai, earlier this month.
With the northeast monsoon becoming strong, rain continued to batter Tamil Nadu even as rainwater entered a government hospital in Chennai on Monday, forcing doctors on duty and paramedical staff to shift patients out of wards.
"We are using motor pumps to flush out the flood water, the work is on continuously. However, since the rain continues, there is no let up in inflow too," a medical official of Tambaram Taluk Government General Hospital at Chrompet - popularly called the "Chrompet GH - told the Press Trust of India.
"Not all the portions of the hospital are affected, it is only to some extent on the ground level," he added.
"Our services to the people are not affected, the patients in the ward which is witnessing inundation have been shifted to a safer place," he added.
A popular state-run hospital in the southern suburbs of Chennai has amenities including trauma care for which it is well-known. In and out patients too avail the services of the hospital.
As the city and suburbs experienced more rains, neighbourhoods that were not inundated previously too are now experiencing water-logging.
According to the weather office, a "trough of low pressure at mean sea level lay over Southwest Bay and adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean," triggering more rains.
Most parts of Tuticorin district were inundated following heavy rains for the third day today, and the entire district Collectorate wore a deserted look as officials were busy serving food and other essential commodities by boat to affected people besides rescuing some people from water-logged areas.
Traffic on the Tirunelveli-Tuticorin route was affected as rain water was allegedly diverted on to the national highway, to check inundation of residential areas, but it did not work.
Fire service personnel were engaged to rescue those marooned in residential areas and inundated highways and city roads. Officials said five lakh people were marooned in many colonies and essential items were being supplied to them by boat.
A report from Cuddalore said some 100 houses were inundated at Beramarao Nagar. About 1,200 people were rescued from water-logged areas at Panrutti, Virudhachalam and Cuddalore. As many as 72,000 people have been housed in relief camps, according to District Collector Sureshkumar.