The four districts Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi were battered by heavy rainfall which disrupted normal life.
Published Dec 20, 2023 | 6:10 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 20, 2023 | 6:10 PM
MK Stalin reviewing the rescue and relief operations. (CMOTamilnadu/ X)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Wednesday, 20 December, reviewed the relief and rehabilitation works carried out in the Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari districts which were affected by “historic” rainfall over the last two days.
Earlier on Wednesday, Stalin arrived in Chennai from New Delhi and visited the State Emergency Operation Centre.
Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena briefed him about the government’s relief work in the four southern districts.
Later, the Chief Minister also held a meeting via video conferencing with the IAS officers who have been appointed by the government to monitor the rehabilitation work along with the representatives of the administration of the affected districts.
The four districts Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi were battered by heavy rainfall which disrupted normal life.
சென்னை, எழிலகத்தில் உள்ள வருவாய் மற்றும் பேரிடர் மேலாண்மை துறையின் மாநில அவசரகால செயல்பாட்டு மையத்திற்கு மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் நேரில் சென்று திருநெல்வேலி, தூத்துக்குடி, கன்னியாகுமரி, தென்காசி மாவட்டங்களில் பெய்த அதிகனமழையால் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள பாதிப்புகள் குறித்தும்,… pic.twitter.com/hrhd7ybsnJ
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) December 20, 2023
During the review meeting, Stalin instructed the officials to ensure that necessary medical assistance and basic amenities were provided to the people accommodated in relief camps. He also enquired about rescue operations in areas which remained inaccessible due to heavy flooding.
Collectors of affected districts were asked to expedite the rescue work and ensure prompt delivery of food packets to villagers.
Stalin also spoke to his Cabinet colleagues — Minister for Public Works EV Velu, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran, Minister for Finance and Human Resources Thangam Thennarasu, and Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P Moorthy, who were deputed to monitor the rescue operations.
At a press briefing, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said nearly 27 tonnes of food had been supplied to people in the four districts and 10 helicopters were pressed into service.
During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 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.
Chief Minister MK Stalin, who was supposed to inspect the flood-hit regions on Wednesdsay, would visit on Thursday, 21 December, the government said.
Ahead of his meeting with the Prime Minister, Stalin told reporters that he would visit Thoothuudi and Tirunelveli districts on Wednesday.
However, an official release issued on Tuesday night said as local administrations were expected to be present in the affected districts owing to the central team’s visit on Wednesday, the Chief Minister would arrive in Madurai on Wednesday night. He is expected to visit Thoothukudi on Thursday, the release said.
Criticising the relief works, Tamil Nadu BJP president, Annamalai took to X to share that one of the DMK ministers— Anitha Radhakrishnan had been stuck in floods, and had to be rescued after three days.
Chief Minister Stalin has announced a slew of ministers’ names to overview the rescue and relief operations in the southern Tamil Nadu districts. In the names, Minister for Fisheries-Fishermen Welfare & Animal Husbandry Anitha Radhakrishnan was also mentioned.
He further wrote, “Not even knowing that his minister is in a situation to be rescued from the flood, chief minister Stalin has included his name in the rescue mission, announced a list of names, and has gone to Delhi to hold ‘Hindi’ coalition talks as an emergency.”
Slamming the rescue works, Annamalai said, “The empty announcement that the minister, who is unable to come to the field, will come and rescue the public, has made it clear that the DMK government has not taken any precautionary measures.”
திருநெல்வேலி, கன்னியாகுமரி, தூத்துக்குடி, தென்காசி ஆகிய தென் மாவட்டங்களில், மீட்பு மற்றும் நிவாரணப் பணிகளை மேற்கொள்ள, மூத்த அமைச்சர்கள் பலரை நியமித்திருப்பதாக, கடந்த டிசம்பர் 18 அன்று முதலமைச்சர் ஸ்டாலின் அறிவித்திருந்தார்.
அந்த அமைச்சர்களில் ஒருவரான, வெள்ளத்தால் கடுமையாகப்… https://t.co/hMqNFGbQX1 pic.twitter.com/g7jIqDjmVU
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) December 20, 2023
To take stock of the damage done by the flooding in Tirunelveli, the Collector has announced that district officials will be starting work immediately.
In the release shared on X, the Collector said, “People are requested to give their Aadhaar/other identification details to the VAO (Village Administrative Officers) and inform them of the extent of the damage to their homes and livelihood.”
“In case, the identification documents have been misplaced, these can be sent by WhatsApp to respective VAOs with all relevant supporting details. People are requested to support this initiative with urgency so that support/relief measures can be expedited.,” the release further said.
திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தில் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள மழை வெள்ள சேதங்கள் குறித்து கணக்கெடுப்பு பணி கிராமங்கள் வாரியாக தொடங்கப்பட்டது தொடர்பான செய்தி வெளியீடு.#TirunelveliRain #Tirunelveli #Nellai pic.twitter.com/LqfvEERcop
— District Collector, Tirunelveli (@Collectortnv) December 20, 2023
The District Collector has announced a holiday for the schools in Tirunelveli on Thursday, 21 December.
The Collector further said the colleges would be open, and schools would be gradually opened.
திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தில் நாளை (21.12.2023) பள்ளிகளுக்கு மட்டும் விடுமுறை அளிக்கப்படுகிறது.
முகாம்கள் ஏதும் நடைபெறாத
கல்லூரிகள் செயல்படும். வெள்ளிக்கிழமை முதல் படிப்படியாக பள்ளிகள் திறக்க ஆய்வு செய்யப்பட்டு வருகிறது.#Tirunelveli— District Collector, Tirunelveli (@Collectortnv) December 20, 2023
The Collector has also shared that out of 1,195 schools in the Tirunelveli district, 1,108 schools are fully protected. The remaining schools are undergoing maintenance.
Out of 840 fair price shops in Tirunelveli, 63 fair price shops have been affected and goods have been damaged due to rain floods.
Traffic has resumed on the Tirunelveli-Thoothukudi road which was cut off for the last three days, he said.
Meanwhile, the Southern Railway has cancelled 19 trains passing through these four districts due to the inundation of railway tracks in the region. While the South Railway has announced that the train traffic through Tirunelveli is restored.
The Railways posted on X, “Train operations through #Tirunelveli attained normalcy after Tirunelveli Yard had been declared fit for train movement at 5:20 pm.”
They further said, “Train number 20924 Gandhidham to Tirunelveli will be the first train to operate post-restoration.”
#Train Traffic Through Tirunelveli Restored
Train operations through #Tirunelveli attained normalcy after Tirunelveli Yard has been declared fit for train movement at 17.20 hrs.#SouthernRailway #Tirunelvelifloods #SouthTNRains pic.twitter.com/4KUaHTQbGk
— Southern Railway (@GMSRailway) December 19, 2023
(With PTI inputs)
