Chennai airport resumed 24-hour operations for both domestic and international flights today. Yesterday, the runway was opened for day-time domestic flights. Boarding passes are being issued manually at the airport due to power shortage.

In a major relief for Chennaiites, the MeT department has forecast dry and cloudy weather in the city on Monday. However, slight rains have been forecast in southern and interior parts of the state.

The Chennai railway station has also resumed all services from both Chennai Central and Egmore as water levels in the Adyar and Cooum rivers receded enabling authorities to restore tracks on Sunday afternoon.

With rescue operations primarily over, the focus has now shifted to relief operations as the state now stares at the fear of epidemics.

Power supply has been restored in several areas, while it continued to be disconnected in many others where water has not receded as a measure of precaution. A big chunk of private and public sector banks functioned to clear the backlog caused by the rains which had paralysed ATM services. As a precautionary measure, the state government has declared holidays for schools and colleges on Monday in the districts, including Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur.

Meanwhile, Puducherry government would seek Rs 200 crore central assistance for relief and rehabilitation as the union territory has suffered extensive damage in the incessant rains and floods in the past three weeks, chief minister N Rangasamy has said.

"Puducherry and Karaikal regions of the Union Territory have sustained extensive damage due to incessant rains and floods and the government will request Rs 200 crore central assistance for relief and rehabilitation efforts," he said.

Speaking to reporters at Karaikal last night after visiting various flood-hit areas in the district, he said that in the past three weeks the Union Territory had sustained severe damage to dwellings, roads, cattle and crops, besides severe hardship to the people.

Relief work was being undertaken on a war footing and officials were preparing a flood damage assessment report which would soon be submitted to the central government, he said.