CM Stalin embarked on a visit to the southern districts on Thursday to take stock of the damage caused by massive inundation.
Published Dec 21, 2023 | 8:59 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 21, 2023 | 8:59 PM
MK Stalin during his visit to Thoothukudi. (X)
An inter-ministerial central team visited the inundated areas in Tirunelveli district on Thursday, 21 December, to assess the extent of damage caused due to the torrential rain on 17 and 18 December in the four southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
The team under National Disaster Management Authority (Operation and Communication) Advisor KP Singh visited the waterlogged area at the Tirunelveli junction bus stand and interacted with the officials.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin embarked on a visit to the southern districts on Thursday, too, to personally take stock of the damage caused by massive inundation and to console the affected people.
The Chief Minister, who arrived in Thoothukudi by helicopter from Chennai, interacted with the residents at Anthoniyarpuram and later distributed relief to them.
After visiting the flood-hit areas in the district and also the neighbouring Tirunelveli, which was also the worst affected, the Chief Minister would interact with the respective district collectors.
Several parts of the district remained cut off and a NDRF team provided relief assistance to the marooned in association with the Thoothukudi district administration.
During the team’s interaction with the affected residents, a victim of a house collapse became emotional while narrating her horrifying experience and almost fell at Singh’s feet while pleading for help.
Singh, who stopped the sobbing lady from touching his feet, assured her of appropriate financial assistance.
According to Tirunelveli district collector KP Karthikeyan ahead of the rains, the administration shifted about 696 pregnant women to safety as a precaution.
As many as 142 were admitted to various hospitals and of them, 91 pregnant women including 14 in the primary health centre, 13 in the government hospital, 21 in Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, and 43 in private hospitals, delivered babies in the last two days.
He said drinking water was being supplied through tankers to Kooniyur village where the drinking water infrastructure was affected due to flooding of the Thamirabarani river. He urged the public to boil and cool the water before drinking.
During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 December, Stalin had urged him to release ₹2,000 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund to bolster the efforts for livelihood support and repair of public infrastructure damaged by flooding in the southern districts on 17 and 18 December.
Nearly 40 lakh people in the Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts were badly hit by the record rains while Srivaikuntam and villages near Tiruchendur suffered great damage due to flooding in Thamirabarani river.
He highlighted the damage caused by the heavy rain in the southern districts and said that relief work is being carried out.
Necessary funds should be allocated quickly for repairing the damage, Stalin said in the memorandum, an official release in Chennai said.
The Chief Minister mentioned that the inter-ministerial team that surveyed the areas affected by Cyclone Michaung appreciated the Tamil Nadu government for promptly carrying out the rescue and relief work.
(With PTI inputs)
