Chennai rains: Govt. waives off charges on BSNL mobile usage for a week

In wake of the incessant rains in Chennai and coastal parts of Tamil Nadu, Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that there won't be any charges on BSNL mobile usage for a week.

"The flood like situation in Tamil Nadu is very concerning. BSNL has taken a key decision for people of the state. For a week from today, there won't be any charges on BSNL mobile usage. The automatic system of disconnection in the event of no-payment has also been put on hold until further orders," Prasad told the media here.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General L.S. Rathore had earlier said that although the intensity of rain will lessen after 72 hours, it will continue to pour for about a week.

Many parts of Chennai and the suburbs have been flooded from the incessant rains that have hit the city in the past 24 hours.

The water has entered inside houses in the low-lying areas of Anna Nagar and there is water-logging in almost every part of the city.

The flight operations at the Chennai Airport have been closed for now because of the flooded water on the runway.