On Sunday morning, CM Vijay inspected the Greater Chennai Corporation’s integrated command centre at Ripon Building and told officials to act fast so residents are not affected. all 35 waterlogged spots and all 22 subways were cleared.
On Sunday morning, CM Vijay inspected the Greater Chennai Corporation’s integrated command centre at Ripon Building and told officials to act fast so residents are not affected. all 35 waterlogged spots and all 22 subways were cleared.
After a night of record rain in North Chennai, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay went to Ripon Building, the headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), on the morning of Sunday, October 18, 2026, to review the city’s response and its preparations for more heavy rain. It was his first visit to Ripon Building since becoming Chief Minister.
| Item | Status on Sunday morning |
|---|---|
| Waterlogged places | 35 locations, all cleared by pumps (official review); one report quoted Commissioner G.S. Sameeran as citing 280, with 273 cleared |
| Fallen trees | Trees or branches fell at 22 locations — all removed and traffic restored |
| Subways | All 22 cleared and reopened by 6 am |
| Relief centres | 227 temporary centres ready; 13,500 people given food on Sunday morning; 112 central kitchens stocked |
| Rescue teams | 1 NDRF and 4 TNDRF teams in vulnerable areas |
| Casualties | None reported |
Large generators and tractor-mounted pumps were used to drain water, and water was cleared from all major bus routes and most streets.
The Corporation had 1,189 vehicles and machines on duty — 676 of its own pumps, 134 hired 100 HP pumps and 648 tractor-mounted pumps — plus 133 rescue boats (36 Corporation, 97 Fisheries Department) and more than 300 tree-cutting saws. GCC Commissioner G.S. Sameeran briefed the Chief Minister on rescue work and food distribution.
The Chief Minister directed officials to act immediately on every rain complaint, inspect areas that flooded in earlier years and step up preventive works there, follow the flood-response protocols and keep all departments closely coordinated. He also praised the Corporation and other staff for their work through the night. Ministers K.A. Sengottaiyan, Aadhav Arjuna, A. Rajmohan, K.G. Arunraj, Venkataramanan, Maria Wilson and Ramesh then met separately.
Avoid flooded roads, subways and riverbanks; keep away from fallen wires. Report waterlogging or fallen trees to 1913 or WhatsApp 94455 51913. All helplines are on our Monsoon Help Centre ›
CM Vijay Ripon Building Chennai Rain Northeast Monsoon Red Alert Day 162