Cyclone Fengal Wreaks Unprecedented Havoc In Tamil Nadu, Stalin Seeks Funds From Centre

Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has said that cyclone Fengal has wreaked unprecedented havoc in many of the state and urged the Centre for more funds to deal with the damage.

“Cyclone Fengal has wreaked unprecedented havoc across 14 districts of Tamil Nadu, affecting 1.5 crore people, inundating 2.11 lakh hectares of farmland, and damaging critical infrastructure. Given the magnitude of destruction, I urge PM Narendra Modi to release Rs 2,000 crore from the NDRF immediately to aid emergency restoration and rehabilitation efforts,” MK Stalin said.

Stalin visit cyclone Fengal affected regions 

Amid the devastation and flooding caused by Cyclonic storm Fengal, MK Stalin said that he will be visiting Viluppuram and Kallakurichi districts to inspect the damage and provide assistance to people.

"I am personally visiting Viluppuram and Kallakurichi districts to see the severe damage caused by Cyclone Fengal and help the people," CM Stalin said in a post on X.

CM Stalin informed that he was in touch with Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister MRK Panneerselvam, who is working on the ground in the Cuddalore district. The CM said that he had also contacted State Public Works Minister EV Velu and enquired about the situation in Tiruvannamalai district.

The Chief Minister said that he was appointed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA Muthuswamy and Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister R Rajendran to oversee the situation and rescue operations in Krishnagiri district.

"I am continuously talking to the Collectors of these districts and monitoring the field situation. Let's fix the damage of the natural disaster and restore normalcy soon," CM Stalin posted on X.

This comes after Cyclone Fengal caused flooding amid heavy rainfall in many districts of Tamil Nadu, leaving people living in these areas in distress. However, efforts are being made by rescue teams to evacuate stranded citizens.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team led by District Collector Balaraman rescued the affected people in Cuddalore distrcit with the help of boats. The Tamil Nadu Disaster Rescue team removed a tree that fell on the national highway in Chinna Gangankuppam, a border area of Cuddalore and Puducherry, with the help of a JCB machine.

Earlier, CM 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.

Meanwhile, the Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train services resumed normal operations across all suburban districts on December 1, according to railway officials. A Elumalai, a Public Relations Officer from the Chennai Division, confirmed that train services in Chennai had resumed operations.

With inputs from ANI