Cyclone Michaung: TN seeks Rs 5,000-cr Central aid; relief work gets underway
Even as relief work began, the TN government sought an interim Central aid of ₹5,000 crore to rebuild infrastructure damaged by incessant rains in Chennai
Even as relief and rescue work began in full swing in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday (December 4) the MK Stalin-led government has sought an interim Central assistance of ₹5,000 crore to provide aid to people and rebuild infrastructure damaged by incessant rains in Chennai and some other districts of the state triggered by Cyclone Michaung.
The severe cyclonic storm Michaung, which has moved onto the Andhra Pradesh coast is expected to make landfall close to Bapatla within the next few hours.
Meanwhile, even as residents in parts of Chennai got respite from the rain and power services were restored on Tuesday (December 5), the TN government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts on Wednesday. The respite from the rain gave time for officials to rescue people stranded in waterlogged areas with fishing boats and farm tractors in and around Chennai.
The interior roads and suburbs in all these districts are still under water with power and road networks down. Addressing a press conference at the Chennai Corporation headquarters on Tuesday morning, TN Chief Minister MK Stalin said relief measures are taking place on a war footing.
Stalin said in the nine districts including Chennai that were hit by torrential rains, a total of 61,666 relief camps were set up with about 11 lakh food packets and one lakh milk packets distributed so far.
Updating on the lives lost due to rain-related incidents, Stalin said that so far seven lives were lost which included deaths due to a wall collapse in neighbouring Chengalpattu district.
Cyclone Michaung had wreaked havoc across Chennai and adjoining districts on Monday, causing flooding and disrupting normal life.
Cars were swept away and airport operations shut down as the streets of Chennai got inundated.
DMK requests interim relief
Raising the issue through a zero-hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Tiruchi Siva, a leader of the DMK which rules the state, said heavy rains due to severe Cyclone Michaung have submerged Chennai and other districts.
"Roads have become rivers because of non-stop running waters and rivers have become like seas... all the water bodies are overflowing. Many tanks have been breached," he said.
Informing the Rajya Sabha that roads have been badly damaged due to the fury of nature, Siva said essential supplies have been hampered.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and the entire Cabinet, municipal corporation officials, fire department, sanitation workers, doctors, rescue teams and electricity department have been working on a war footing to rescue people and provide relief material.
As a precautionary measure, electricity supply was suspended, Siva said.
He said that while the state government is doing everything in its means, the damage to infrastructure is so huge that it cannot be repaired at the earliest.
"The state government has requested an interim relief of ₹5,000 crore." "I urge the Union government (that) considering the condition of Tamil Nadu and five districts, kindly release ₹5,000 crore as initial interim relief which would help the State government in their efforts to safeguard the people of Tamil Nadu," he said.
NDRF personnel evacuate residents from a waterlogged area after heavy rainfall owing to Cyclone Michaung, in Kanchipuram, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. Pic: PTI
NDRF personnel evacuate residents from a waterlogged area after heavy rainfall owing to Cyclone Michaung, in Kanchipuram, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. (PTI
Rescue work in full swing
The Chennai corporation has brought in 5000 workers from other districts to the city for the flood mitigation works. These workers used farm tractors and fishing boats in flooded areas including Periamet and some other north Chennai areas to rescue people and to distribute relief materials.
While power supply was being restored in phases within Chennai, residents in areas including parts of suburban Tambaram, Ashok Nagar, Kattupakkam and Perungudi complained that there was no sign of power restoration despite rains having stopped for several hours.
Mukesh Chordia, a resident of Ashok Nagar said that water had receded from the arterial roads in the area but power supply was yet to be restored.
Chief Minister M K Stalin told reporters that the power situation was being restored in a phased manner. He said that the handling of the situation was way better when compared to 2015 floods (When AIADMK was in power).
He said in 2015 floods there was an unplanned release of one lakh cusecs from the Chembarambakkam reservoir into Adyar river which led to man-made floods. What the city witnessed now was natural floods that were handled efficiently by the state, Stalin said.
He said that only a maximum of 8000 cusecs of water was released in a planned manner into Adyar and Cooum rivers from Chembarambakkam reservoir in the city's outskirts during the rains this time
(With inputs from agencies)