CALAMITY// Incessant rain continued to batter parts of Tamil Nadu, and Chennai literally went under water during mid-November. It is the season of the north-east monsoon, which brings rain to southern state, but the amount of rainfall the city has seen over the past few weeks is extraordinary. Things got so bad that boats were seen in flooded areas to help people get around. Rescue operations by the Indian Air Force were also pressed into service. Entire neighbourhoods were cut off from the rest of the city due to flooding, and electricity supply was switched off in parts. Schools were shut as travelling in the city’s flooded roads had become impossible. Many schools and office buildings were unusable as they had filled up with water. The situation was equally bad in other parts of Tamil Nadu that have also received heavy rain. 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. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered immediate release of Rs 940 crore-assistance for Tamil Nadu flood relief. According to the state government, 169 people have been killed since October 1 in various rain-related incidents across the state.