Army deployed as floods kill dozens in Tamil Nadu

While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has condoled the deaths and announced Rs 4 lakh each to the bereaved families as compensation, the ruling dispensation is finding it hard to control damage to life and property across the state.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram said the government was “working day and night” to bring relief to victims of the floods.

Media reports said military helicopters were being used to drop food and drinking water to the worst-hit areas, while schools and businesses in state capital Chennai had been forced to close.

In Tiruvallur District, 26,448 people have been safely housed in relief camps, the stastement said.

Jayalalithaa said 216 medical camps (17 mobile and 199 other camps) were being held in Chennai, 106 in Kanchipuram and 89 in Tiurvallur District.

“Disease prevention steps are being held in full swing”, she added. Train services in Southern Railway and South Central Railway were affected as the tracks are submerged in rain water. He also gave them milk and water packets.

“No precautionary measures would have managed to prevent water logging and damages”.

Realizing the need for continued communication support in the hour of crisis, Indus has ensured that telecom towers are continuously up and running, so that people can reach out to their loved ones when they need to stay connected the most.

Defence sources told UNI that after undertaking massive rescue operations yesterday at the request of the state government, during which the Army alone had rescued 1,024 people from the affected areas of Mudichur, Samathuva Perriyar Nagar, Thiruneer Malai, Anakaputhur and Sholinganallur in Chennai and Kancheepuram districts, using boats and life jackets.

India’s southeast coast is vulnerable to annual cyclones in November and December, and severe low pressure formations in the Bay of Bengal have resulted in heavier than usual rainfall, said weather officials.