Chennai: Home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday spoke to chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to take stock of the situation in the two states following the landfall of cyclone Vardah and assured them of all help. Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam and AP chief minister N. Chandrababu Nadu apprised the home minister of the damage caused by the cyclone and steps taken for the rescue and relief operations. Singh told the two chief ministers that the central government is ready to provide all possible help to the states.
Mr Panneerselvam told Mr Singh that the state's administrative machinery was ready to face the cyclone. According to a press release from the state government, senior IAS officers have been dispatched to affected districts to oversee rescue and relief operations.
Heavy rains accompanied by high-velocity winds pounded Chennai and coastal districts of north Tamil Nadu as severe cyclonic storm Vardah commenced its landfall.
Ssonia hopes all is well in TN
In the wake of cyclone Vardah making a landfall in Chennai, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday hoped the local administration would take all precautions for the safety of the citizens. “As cyclone Vardah crosses the coast and hits Chennai, we watch anxiously and pray as the city braces itself to withstand the force of nature’s fury. We trust the administration will take all precautions for the safety of the citizens during this time of hardship.
“I am sure the people of Chennai and Tamil Nadu will show the nation the same courage with which they faced a similar calamity last year. Entire Congress party stands firmly by them,” she said in a statement.
