Anticipating fierce rains today following the weather forecast about a cyclone formation nearby, the varsities in Tamil Nadu have turned on to vigilant mode.
Schools have been declared holiday today and tomorrow. According to a press release issued from the school education department, the School Education Director S Kannappan annouced holidays for schools on December 1 and 2.
The districts granted holidays are Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Tanjore, Pudukottai, Nagapattinam, Vanur and Marakanam taluks of Vilupuram.
The met department had forecast that the cyclonic storm Nada is likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and intensify during the next 12 hours. It is expected to cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranyam and Chennai close to Cuddalore by early hours of December 2.
'Nada' is likely to bring widespread rains over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry till Friday, S. Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre in Chennai, said on Wednesday.
"While there will be fairly widespread rains till Friday in most parts of coastal Tamil Nadu, there may not be torrential downpour like last year," he clarified.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has instructed the district administration and the chief secretary to be "on full alert".
"We have put flags along the coastline and de-silted the drains to avoid flooding in the heavy rain," the Puducherry chief minister has said.
Nagapattinam collector Munuswamy said, "We have given a holiday for schools. We will have a meeting to decide if colleges need to be shut as they have examinations scheduled"
Anna University has postponed the college semester exams that were scheduled for today the college and its affiliated engineering colleges.
Even in 2015, Anna University and Pondicherry University had postponed examinations of all streams due to inclement weather. In fact, the Anna University had to cancel/ postponed the exams several times. They also postponed the 36th Convocation Day.