Chennai, December 3 - Torrential rains have wreaked havoc across Tamil Nadu, leaving several districts submerged under water, roads damaged, and residents facing shortages of essential supplies.
In Villupuram district's Arasur area, residents protesting against the lack of basic necessities disrupted daily activities, demanding immediate assistance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday, assuring the state of all possible support from the central government to address the crisis.
According to the Tamil Nadu government, Cyclone Fengal has caused widespread devastation across 14 districts. The cyclone has damaged roads and power lines, triggering severe floods that have displaced populations and caused significant damage to infrastructure.
The disaster has claimed 12 lives so far, destroyed 2,416 huts and 721 houses, and killed 963 livestock. Large-scale damage has also been reported to agricultural and horticultural crops, along with irrigation systems.
Rescue operations are underway in the worst-hit areas. In Arasur, 18 individuals seeking shelter in a rain-damaged temple were rescued. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) successfully evacuated stranded people and livestock in a village in Cuddalore district.
In a tragic incident in Tiruvannamalai district on December 1, a boulder rolled down from the peak of Annamalaiyar Hills, crushing a residential house. Seven people, including five children, were found dead during a prolonged rescue operation. Police reported that their bodies were recovered after nearly 24 hours of efforts on December 2.
E.V. Velu, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Public Works and Highways, inspected the rescue operations in the affected VOC Nagar area at the foothills of Annamalaiyar. Velu stated that such landslides had never occurred in the region before. He also noted that the area experienced unprecedented rainfall not seen since 1965, leading to severe damage to crops and property.
Educational institutions in districts like Nilgiris, Ranipet, Salem, and Tiruvannamalai remained closed on Monday as a precautionary measure.
Chief Minister Stalin held a high-level meeting with his cabinet colleagues and senior officials at the Secretariat in Chennai to review the damages caused by the cyclone. He instructed officials to expedite relief and rehabilitation efforts to restore normalcy at the earliest.
