Washed Away: Apple iPhone’s production at Foxconn, Pegatron Chennai facilities stopped due to heavy rains

Foxconn, the Taiwanese company responsible for manufacturing Apple iPhones, has temporarily ceased production at its facility near Chennai, India, due to the impact of heavy rains caused by Cyclone Michaung. The decision on whether to resume production on Tuesday remains pending, as reported by Reuters. Foxconn began iPhone production at its Sriperumbudur plant in August. Reports suggest that Pegatron has also suspended production.

Foxconn plans to restart production as soon as by the end of Tuesday but is unlikely to do so if the weather continues to be this bad.

The relentless rainfall associated with Cyclone Michaung has disrupted normal life in Chennai and neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu. Streets are submerged, and both airport runways and railway tracks are inundated. The cyclonic storm has hovered near Chennai and Puducherry, prompting significant waterlogging and challenges for the residents.

In response to the adverse weather conditions, the government under Chief Minister MK Stalin has ordered the closure of all educational institutions in Chennai on Tuesday, anticipating further heavy rainfall. The state government has also advised private companies to allow employees in affected regions to work from home on December 5.

While essential services such as police, fire service, local bodies, medical facilities, power supply, and transportation will continue to function, the situation has prompted a precautionary closure of educational institutions and remote work arrangements.

Cabinet ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin and Ma Subramanian visited the affected areas in Chennai, overseeing relief activities. The government has deployed ten teams comprising 250 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel for rescue efforts in the affected districts.

Chennai’s airport operations were significantly impacted, with a suspension of services from 9:40 am to 11 pm. Around 70 flights arriving or departing were cancelled due to the continuous rainfall, causing waterlogging on the runway and tarmac. The Airport Authority of India confirmed the closure, emphasizing the need to address the waterlogging issue before resuming normal operations.

(With inputs from agencies)