Domestic flights, train services resume in Chennai

Chennai: Domestic flights from Chennai airport and train services started on Sunday after four days of shutdown due to heavy flooding of its runway, an official said.

"The airport is now open for domestic day flights. We are hoping that international flights will be operational from Monday," an official told news agencies.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will review the situation for night operations.

Budget airline IndiGo on Sunday said it will resume partial flight operations to Chennai on the Bengaluru-Chennai-Mumbai-Delhi sectors.

Regular train services also resumed on Sunday from Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore stations after days of disruption due to floods, the Southern Railway said.

The trains which will ply on Sunday include the Chennai-New Delhi Grand Trunk Express, Chennai-Mysore Kaveri Express and Chennai-New Delhi Tamil Nadu Express.

Meanwhile, popular Telugu actors Rana Daggubati, Nani and Allari Naresh have joined hands to help the people of Tamil Nadu now reeling under the worst floods in a century to hit the state.

While most stars have already contributed through donations, Rana and his team are appealing to people of Hyderabad to come forward and help the victims of rain-affected city and other parts of the state.

"In solidarity with the people of Chennai and TN affected by the floods, a few of Telugu cinema's actors have come together and formed an initiative called 'Mana Madras Kosam'. We would contribute financially, raise funds and ensure proper relief work is being carried on ground," Rana posted on his Twitter page.

Rana's family-owned Ramanaidu Studios has become the drop point for relief essentials which are packed and trucked to the city.

On Sunday, these stars – including Lakshmi Manchu, Allu Sirish, Madhu Shalini and Nikhil Siddhartha among others – will visit various malls in Hyderabad to collect money.

"We have networked with several NGOs and volunteers on ground to help us in this effort. In this regard, some of us would visit various malls to create awareness and raise funds. Please be there and contribute generously to help us with this initiative," he said.

Movie Artists Association (MAA), which is headed by veteran actor Rajendra Prasad, has announced an aid of Rs.5 lakh to the flood victims.

(IANS)

(Picture credit: www.thequint.com)