Tamil Nadu Rain: At Least 10 Dead in Southern TN; Central Team to Visit State After Modi-Stalin Meet

As many as ten lives were claimed in the unprecedented rains in southern Tamil Nadu, while several other individuals were left stranded for days.

Meanwhile, all the 800 passengers who were stuck in Srivaikuntam for more than 40 hours were rescued by the disaster response forces, Air Force and other agencies engaged in the operations.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night and gave a request petition to declare the damage caused by the Michaung storm and the heavy downpour in the southern districts as a national calamity. His petition also requested for provision of disaster relief fund.

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• An inter-ministerial central team is expected to visit Tamil Nadu on Wednesday to assess the damage caused by incessant rains and flooding in the state over the last two days.
• Kayalpattinam — a municipality in Tuticorin — received the highest amount of 1,192 mm of rains in two days while Tiruchendur received 916 mm.
• CM Stalin, who will reach Madurai on Wednesday night, is likely to visit the flood-hit regions — including Tuticorin — tomorrow.
• The Southern Railway has cancelled nearly 19 trains due to waterlogging in the rain affected regions on Wednesday, while rain traffic through Tirunelveli came back to normalcy after the Tirunelveli yard was declared for train movement.
• Ten people have died in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts in rain-related incidents, while some lost their lives due to wall collapse, and some due to electrocution.
• All the 800 passengers, who were stuck in Srivaikuntam, have been rescued and special trains have been arranged for them.
• TN Governor RN Ravi chaired a separate meeting with central agencies and armed forces to review the measures taken in flood affected areas.
• No official from the state government attended the meeting, though a request was sent to the Chief Secretary to send a representative to the meeting.
• Chief Minister MK Stalin met with PM Modi on Tuesday night and put in a request petition to declare the damage caused by rains and Michaung storm as a natural calamity.
• Stalin said that the damage caused by the incessant rains has not been witnessed by the state in history of 100 years.
• The CM said that Rs 2,000 crore from the DRF needs to be given for livelihood assistance of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Tenkasi districts.
• Although there was a brief respite from rainfall yesterday, Disaster Response Forces, Air Force, Army, and Navy are engaged in rescue operations in the rain-hit districts.
• An Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) with an on-board helicopter is monitoring coastal areas, particularly Tuticorin, prepared to respond to emergencies at sea and shore locations.
• Naval aircraft and helicopters are transporting relief material, with the Indian Air Force deploying its Medium Lift Helicopters (MLS), Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH), and Dhruv for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts.
• Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said that nearly 1,343 personnel from Central and state government agencies including the Navy, Air Force, NDRF, SDRF were involved in the rescue and relief operation across the state’s southern districts.
• Till now, 160 relief camps have been set up and about 17,000 people have been accommodated in these camps. About 34,000 food packets have been supplied to these people, the chief secretary said.
• Total nine helicopters were involved in relief work so far. CM Stalin noted that there is a possibility of one more helicopter to join the rescue operations.
• Officials said that as many as 133 mobile medical teams have been kept ready to provide essential healthcare services including examination of people rescued from flood-hit regions.

(With PTI inputs)