Chennai Floods: PM Modi conducts aerial survey, announces Rs 1000 crore assistance

Chennai has been turned into a virtual island and Flood waters reached upto even the second floor of the Housing Board colonies on the banks of Adyar river as people reached roof tops looking for rescue and relief in several parts of the city and suburbs.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking about the Tamil Nadu floods in the Lok Sabha, said the Meteorological department has predicted more rainfall over the next few days, and that 269 people have died in rain-related incidents in the state.

The Union Government has released funds amounting to Rs. 509 Crore for relief materials in Chennai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has blamed climate change for the deluge, traveled to Chennai to get a first-hand view of a rescue effort that has so far been halting. The state government can only tell about the casualties.

The chief minister said in a statement after an aerial survey of the flooded areas that Chennai district topped the list with 62,267 people in camps, followed by Kanchipuram (57,516), Thiruvallur (38,495) and Cuddalore (6,358). Modi spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and assured her all possible support and cooperation from the Centre, Naidu added.

Asserting that the situation in Tamil Nadu post the incessant rains is alarming, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi on Thursday said that it would not be appropriate to find faults with the steps initiated by the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK Government at this point of time.

“I have spoken to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister”. Centre is providing all sort of assistance and will continue to help. Naval and Army forces have been mobilised and we have arranged helicopters but we can fly them in only after the situation improves. Alok Bhatnagar, Naval officer in charge, TN and Puducherry, said the INS Airawat and other amphibian vessels had been deployed to Chennai.

Citing her inability to return to the state due to disrupted transportation, Kanimozhi said, “We are also trying to go back and see what can be done, but there is no way to go back to Chennai also”.

As the rains are still on, in the city, and moreover, arterial Anna Salai, running north-south across the city, was divided into two clear segments, all kinds of travels like airports, trains and also buses will be confined to to their parking areas. Water has cut off the arterial Anna Salai Road, rendering it out of bounds for motorists.