Cloud burst brings intense rainfall over Chennai, flights diverted
Chennai (PTI): Chennai received intense overnight rain, and there was a cloud burst over Manali, a northern neighbourhood of the city, Regional Meteorological Centre said.
Some flights scheduled to arrive at the Chennai airport were diverted to Bengaluru, according to airport authorities.
As per the Regional Meteorological Centre bulletin on Sunday, Chennai received an intense rain between 10 pm to 12 midnight on Saturday, with North Chennai receiving the extremely heavy rainfall.
"Three extremely heavy, 8 very heavy and 28 heavy rainfall events were recorded during the 24-hour ending 8.30 am of August 31 with Manali, New Manali Town and Wimco Nagar recording extremely heavy rainfall of 27 cm, 26 cm and 23 cm, respectively," a bulletin issued by the department said.
As such, a cloud burst occurred over Manali area and neighbourhood with Zone 2. Manali (Division 19) recorded 106.2 mm rainfall during 10-11 pm and 126.6 mm rainfall during 11 pm - 12 midnight on Saturday, the bulletin said.
According to the airport sources, flights from Bengaluru, Delhi, France and Mangaluru scheduled to arrive Chennai were diverted to Bengaluru due to heavy rainfall in the wee hours of Sunday.
However, after the weather was clear in Chennai, the passengers were flown back to the city from Bengaluru by different flights, airport authorities said.
In its forecast for the Chennai and neighbouring districts, the Meteorological bulletin said light to moderate rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area during the next 24 hours. Strong wind gusting to 40-50 kmph is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area, it said.
On August 23, many places in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvannamalai districts received moderate to heavy overnight rains.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
