Tamil Nadu flood: Team asked to speed up relief

Chennai: They came, they saw and, hopefully, they would sanction. That is how matters stand after the flood damage assessment team from the Centre surveyed the rain-battered city of Chennai and its surrounding districts Thursday. The money the Centre sends as flood relief may help many citizens conquer adversity after one of the rainiest Novembers in history left Tamil Nadu in a mess after flash floods inundated without mercy.

The Tamil Nadu government asked the visiting team to make an in-depth assessment of the damages suffered by the state due to the monsoons and submit its report to the union home ministry at the earliest so that financial assistance can be released without any delay.

Briefing the team on the extent of damage across Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said, “Chennai has received the second heaviest monthly rainfall recorded in the past 100 years within the first 20 days of November and the state during the month has already received rainfall of 483.6 mm, which is higher than the total annual monsoon rainfall, leaving a trail of heavy damage and destruction to state.” She specifically cited the example of Neyveli in Cuddalore, where it rained 437 mm on November 9, choking the district.

Interacting with the central team led by T.V.S .N. Prasad Ms Jayalalithaa emphasised that the four northern coastal districts of Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Chennai and Tiruvallur had suffered large scale damage and destruction on account of the extremely heavy deluge. She pointed out that more than 4 lakh people were shifted to relief camps and provided food and shelter by the state government.