TN: Cyclone Fengal leaves trail of destruction; 19 dead, Villupuram hit by flood fury
Schools have been closed in several districts while rescue and relief work is being done on war footing
Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram, which received unprecedented rains under the impact of Cyclone Fengal, is reeling under heavy flooding, leaving residents in a quandary and bringing commute to a halt.
Chief Minister MK Stalin, who has been keeping an eye on the flood situation, inspected the region on Monday (December 2) and interacted with the affected people and distributed relief to them.
19 dead in rain-related incidents
The cyclone, which made landfall near Tamil Nadu’s coast on Saturday (November 30) has left at least 19 dead while leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The most affected have been Puducherry and Cuddalore and Villupuram in Tamil Nadu.
While relief and rescue operations are underway in the flood-affected regions of the state, the government has declared holidays for schools in several districts.
Also read: Cyclone Fengal devastates Puducherry: At least 3 dead, 600 rescued amid severe flooding
Several personnel have been pressed into service to clear roads of debris and fallen trees and in the restoration of power lines.
Trains suspended, traffic snarls reported
With temporary suspension of all train services via Villupuram, hundreds of passengers were affected and a railway official hinted at resumption of services, by complying with safety norms, as and when the condition improved. The traffic on the key Chennai-Tiruchirappalli national highway, in and around Villupuram, was also hit.
The depression, the remnant of cyclonic storm Fengal over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, weakened into a well-marked low pressure area on Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Villages marooned
Not just Villupuram, its nearby towns and villages have also borne the brunt of rain fury with raging flood water gushing into the low-lying areas. As portions of a bridge was washed away, the link to many villages near Aarani in Tiruvannamalai district was cut off.
With water rising above the danger level on an arterial bridge between Vikravandi and Mundiyampakkam in Villupuram, Southern Railway on Monday morning announced suspension of operations in that key stretch, leading to cancellations, diversion and short termination of services, which includes express and superfast trains.
Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri face flooding
Well-connected Villupuram is the easy link between Chennai, other northern parts of the state and the central and southern regions of Tamil Nadu. River Thenpennai is in spate in the badly-hit northern coastal town of Cuddalore. The region was inspected by state Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam.
Also read: Cyclone Fengal: Watch IndiGo plane’s harrowing landing bid in Chennai
Western districts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri district too were overwhelmed by the flooding. Krishnagiri witnessed floods unseen in the past two to three decades and many vehicles, including cars and vans were dragged from a road into low-lying areas, shocking people. Road access from Uthangarai to towns such as Krishnagiri and Tiruvannamalai has been affected due to heavy inundation.
Cyclone weakens
The IMD said: "The depression (Remnant of Cyclonic Storm “Fengal”) over north coastal Tamil Nadu & Puducherry moved nearly westwards and weakened into a well-marked low pressure area at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 02nd December 2024, over North Interior Tamil Nadu. The remnant low pressure area is likely to emerge over southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea off north Kerala-Karnataka coasts around 3rd December 2024."
(With inputs from agencies)
