Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 1 (ANI): Amid flooding and heavy downpours caused by Cyclonic Storm Fengal, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday visited the State Emergency Operation Centre to inspect ongoing relief efforts.
He urged the Union government to dispatch a central team to assess the situation and evaluate crop damage caused by the cyclone.
The Chief Minister also visited various locations in the Kolathur assembly constituency. Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran and other Disaster Management Department officials accompanied him.
CM Stalin stated that nearly 27,000 people have received food packets prepared by Amma canteens since yesterday. He added that 21 of Chennai’s 23 subways have been cleared of waterlogging.
“Yesterday, we faced Cyclone Fengal. Twenty-one of the 23 subways in Chennai have been cleared. Since yesterday, Amma canteens have distributed food packets to 27,000 people. The concerned ministers are stationed in various districts to oversee relief activities. Precautionary measures have been taken across all districts. I urge the central government to send a team to assess the impact of the cyclone and the resulting crop damage,” Tamil Nadu CM Stalin said.
Many districts in Tamil Nadu have been experiencing incessant rainfall since Cyclone Fengal made landfall on November 30. Residential areas in Cuddalore district were submerged due to heavy rains, and disaster teams are using boats to rescue stranded residents.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), led by District Collector Balaraman, has been actively rescuing affected residents using boats. The Tamil Nadu Disaster Rescue team also cleared a tree that had fallen on the national highway in Chinna Gangankuppam, a border area between Cuddalore and Puducherry, using a JCB machine.
Meanwhile, Indian Army troops from the Chennai Garrison Battalion, under the Dakshin Bharat Area command, were mobilised early on Sunday to assist with rescue operations in flood-affected areas of Puducherry. The team, led by Major Ajay Sangwan, focused on the critical situation in Krishna Nagar, where water levels rose to nearly five feet, stranding residents in approximately 500 houses.
The Indian Army began rescue operations at 6:15 am, successfully evacuating over 100 people in the first two hours.
Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy stated on Sunday that the Union Territory received 50 centimetres of rainfall overnight, resulting in severe flooding. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to evacuate stranded residents, he added.
Cyclone Fengal brought record-breaking rainfall to Puducherry, with the Union Territory recording 48.4 centimetres of rain over 24 hours up to 8:30 am on December 1. This marks the highest 24-hour cumulative rainfall in the last 30 years, from 1995 to 2024.
Meanwhile, Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train services resumed normal operations across all suburban districts on December 1, according to railway officials. A Elumalai, Public Relations Officer from the Chennai Division, confirmed that train services in Chennai had resumed operations.
EMU train services had been severely disrupted on Saturday due to heavy rainfall caused by Cyclonic Storm Fengal, which made landfall in Puducherry and the coastal districts of northern Tamil Nadu. (ANI)
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