The northeast monsoon has claimed 25 lives in Tamil Nadu since Friday, the state government said on Monday.

Of these, 17 died after a wall collapsed on three houses at Nadur village near Coimbatore on Monday.

With the rain intensifying, nearly 1,000 people have been accommodated in relief camps in Tuticorin, Cuddalore and Tirunelveli. Some low-lying areas in Chennai and nearby Chenglepet and Kancheepuram are flooded.

Some 58 head of cattle have died while more than 1,700 thatched and tiled-roof houses have been damaged.

Chief minister K. Palaniswami has issued orders to monitor the reservoirs, many of which are either full or are fast filling up.

He has asked officials to ensure adequate stocks of medicines, food, diesel generators and disinfectants, and to put rescue teams on standby.

The state government has announced compensations of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the 17 killed in Nadur, a release said.

The northeast monsoon had set in on October 16.

Water levels in Chennai’s four reservoirs have risen. The combined storage in the Poondi, Cholavaram, Redhills and Chembrambakkam reservoirs stood at 4,091 million cubic feet (mcft) on Monday, compared with the 1,694mcft storage on the same date last year. The reservoirs’ overall combined capacity is 11,257mcft.

With more rain forecast, water managers are hopeful of a better situation next summer. Chennai witnessed one of its worst water crises this year following a weak monsoon in 2018.

In Erode district, a flood alert has been issued to people living on the banks of the Bhavani since a dam built across the river is brimming, with the water level having reaching its maximum at 105 feet. The public works department on Monday morning more than tripled the discharge, from 3,500cusecs to 11,950cusecs.

Traffic has been paralysed on the Coonoor-Mettupalayam highway in the hilly Nilgiris district following landslides at 12 places.

District administrations have declared school holidays in Kundah, Udhagamandalam, Kotagiri and Coonoor taluks.

The regional weather office has forecast light to moderate rain at a few places in southern Tamil Nadu and at isolated places over the state’s northern parts and Puducherry on Tuesday.

Mettupalayam has received the highest rainfall, 18cm, followed by Coonoor (Nilgiris) and Palaviduthi (Karur) with 13cm each.