PM gives Tamil Nadu Rs 1,000-crore aid after rain survey

Rescue work in full swing as Chennai still cut off

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced an immediate release of a Rs 1,000-crore package for relief and rehabilitation work in flood-hit Tamil Nadu, after an aerial survey of inundated regions of the state. Rescue and relief operations, meanwhile, were in full swing Thursday in the worst flood-affected areas of Chennai and its suburbs as well as neighbouring districts, which enjoyed a welcome respite from the torrential rains.

Heavy rains continued to lash coastal Cuddalore district, one of the worst aff-ected areas ever since the northeast monsoon fury started early last month, and Villupuram and Kany-akumari districts and Pud-ucherry as the death toll in the state mounted to 269.

Chennai continued to remain virtually cut off from the rest of the country with air, rail and road transport services still suspended while public transport was crippled due to flooding of arterial main roads, including the Mount Road over the Marmalong Bridge.

While intermittent rains have been forecast for Chennai, coastal and interior Tamil Nadu will receive more rains in the next 24 hours. The Grand Southern Trunk Road that links Chennai with Madurai and beyond was cut off after breaches in several places in Kanchipuram district.

Southern Railway announced the cancellation of all inter and intra-state train services till Saturday while the airport operations will remain suspended till Sunday.

In the Lok Sabha, home minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre will extend all possible assistance to Tamil Nadu as well as Andhra Pradesh (several parts of which are also affected by incessant rains). He termed the situation in Chennai and Tamil Nadu as “very alarming”.

National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) teams have now doubled the number of rescuers in rain and flood-battered Chennai and adjoining areas to 1,200, as the force decided to penetrate deep into affected areas to aid the marooned.

The PM, who went to Tamil Nadu and met chief minister J, Jayalalithaa and governor K. Rosaiah, said while reading out a statement at naval base INS Adyar, around 60 km from the state capital, that “a sum of Rs 1,000 crores will be released immediately by the Government of India to carry out relief work. This will be over and above Rs 940 crores released earlier (by the Centre).”

Mr Modi began his brief statement with a sentence in Tamil, telling the people of Tamil Nadu: “I will be in support of you”. Switching to English, he said he had seen the damage and misery caused by the monsoon fury. “The Government of India will stay with the people of Tamil Nadu in this hour of need,” the PM said after his survey, in which he was accompanied by Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, who hails from Tamil Nadu. The PM also tweeted later: “The Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu in this hour of need.” In further tweets, he added: “I have directed that Rs 1,000 crores be released immediately by Govt of India to Tamil Nadu for immediate relief... I have seen the damage and misery caused by the extremely heavy rainfall.”

Earlier, Mr Modi arrived at the naval working station INS Rajali in Arakkonam, 60 km from Chennai, and made an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Chennai, its suburbs and Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts. During the day, parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said the Centre was in touch with the state government and the Union home secretary was continuously monitoring the situation in the affected areas.

“I have spoken to the Prime Minister and the home minister. The Centre is providing all sort of assistance and will continue to help. Some Navy and Army units have been mobilised, and we made arrangements of helicopters ... but all this we can do after the situation improves. Wherever it is possible we are trying to reach,” he told reporters outside Parliament.

The home minister, speaking in the Lok Sabha, said: “It would not be an exaggeration to say that Chennai has become an island as it has been cut off from all national and state highways.” He was responding to a discussion on the flood situation in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.

Sharing members’ concerns on the magnitude of the calamity, he said the megapolis was witnessing an unprecedented emergency situation with unrelenting rains, that was a record in the last 100 years. Mr Singh said in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am December 2, Chennai had got 330 mm of rain, while normally in the whole of December it generally gets 250 mm.

As many as 269 people have died in Tamil Nadu due to the torrential rains, as well as two others in Puducherry and 54 people in Andhra Pradesh.

Detailing the help being provided by the government for rescue and relief operations, the home minister said 12 naval boats along with 155 personnel were also pressed into service. Mr Singh said the IAF was also helping in the effort by deploying 14 NDRF teams. It will provide further assistance after getting the report of the Central team that is expected later this week.