Tamil Nadu rains updates | CM Stalin writes to Defence Minister seeking more choppers for rescue

Tirunelveli District Collector K.P. Karthikeyan declares holiday for all schools and colleges in the district on Wednesday (December 20) following the adverse impact of recent heavy downpour. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin says, “Chennai Meteorology Department forecasted heavy rainfall on December 17 and 18 and they announced on December 16. The downpour was extremely high than the meteorology Department’s prediction. This is historical rainfall. Even though we received the warning a bit late, the Tamil Nadu government took proper measures for rescue and relief”

A statement from Southern Railway said rail movement has remained suspended on three stretches — between Talaiyuthu and Gangaikondan on the Kovilpatti-Tirunelveli section; Tattapparai and Milavittan on the Vanchi Maniyachchi -Thoothukudi section and Srivaikuntam and Seydunganallur on the Tiruchendur - Tirunelveli section, as well as at Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi railway stations due to water-logging.

First batch of around 100 stranded passengers left Srivaikuntam railway station with the assistance of railway workers & NDRF team. They need to wade through flood water (below knee level) from the station for 3 kms to Velur in Thoothukudi district. A batch of buses have been kept ready at Velur to take them to Vanchi Maniyacchi railway station from where a special train will take all the passenger to Chennai.

Nine teams of police personnel from T.N.’s central zone have been dispatched to the southern districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari to help in rescue operations. 

Armed with necessary paraphernalia used for rescue operations, the teams, trained in disaster management left from various districts in the central zone to the four southern districts on Monday. 

A team of firefighters from Tiruchi district also left for Thoothukudi to join the rescue operations. The six-member team had left with a vehicle, rubber boat and equipment to carry out the mission, said a senior official.

Freak weather dumped widespread, unprecedented extremely heavy rain in 39 places in southern districts, the highest being 95 cm in Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi district. An upper air circulation dumping such a mind-boggling amount of rain in 24 hours was rare in the region, meteorology experts said.

While questions were raised on insufficient forewarnings about the extremely heavy rainfall in the region on Sunday (December 17), officials of the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said they had warned of the probability of very heavy rains since December 14. The forecast was upgraded to extremely heavy rains (which is above 21 cm) in isolated places, ahead of 24 hours. However, the downpour was intense and widespread in southern districts particularly in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Theni. 

The Tiruchi Railway Division announced the cancellation of the Thiruvananthapuram - Tiruchi Junction Intercity superfast express on Tuesday. 

It also announced the cancellation of the Tiruchendur - Chennai Egmore Chendur superfast express on Tuesday.

Defence personnel, by using helicopter have commenced rescue of train passengers stranded in flood-hit southern Tamil Nadu, an official said. 

At Srivaikuntam railway station, rope and accessories needed to lift people, was lowered from the chopper and a number of passengers, including a boy, were brought inside the helicopter.

“The work has commenced, passengers are being rescued,” a Southern Railway official said.

The AIADMK’s former interim general secretary, V.K. Sasikala, on Monday, pulled up Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for his visit to Coimbatore in connection with the launch of Makkaludan Mudhalvar scheme and inauguration of work for Semmozhi Poonga.

“It is not known how it will be justified to seek publicity by the Chief Minister going to Coimbatore instead of providing succour to people of southern districts,” Ms. Sasikala said in a statement, calling upon the DMK regime to abandon the practice of going after self-advertisement.

The Tamil Nadu Health Department has deputed 190 Mobile Medical Units (MMU) to take up post-flood disease prevention/control activities.

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, in a statement issued on Monday, December 18, said that each unit comprised a medical officer, a staff nurse/pharmacist, a health inspector and a driver. 

The teams would be involved in post-flood prevention of communicable diseases. Each team would set up camps in four to five places a day to provide treatment for the public and take up prevention/control measures in flood-affected areas. 

These teams would conduct camps for the public for 10 days, he stated.

The officials on the rescue mission are planning to evacuate all 500 passengers who have remained stranded in the Chennai-bound Chendur Express which was abruptly stopped at Srivaikuntam around 9 p.m. on Sunday. 

Though 300-odd passengers were evacuated by the revenue officials, the rescue of other passengers could not be carried out as the water level suddenly increased cutting off the escape route. 

Meanwhile, the Madurai Division of Southern Railway has got ready with a special train with 18 coaches at Vanchimaniyachchi junction. 

After the evacuation process is completed, they would be transported through 13 buses from Srivaikuntam bus depot to Vanchi Maniyachchi railway station, the official added. 

Railway Staff from Madurai Division i.e., Commercial supervisor, Commercial Inspector and RPF Personnel reached the Srivaikuntam Railway Staion today morning with food and water for the stranded passengers. 

The NDRF is also reaching the station shortly. The evacuation by ground will start once they reach. 

13 buses for transportation of the stranded passengers are kept ready in the Srivaikuntam bus depot. On evacuation from the station they will be brought to the buses and moved to Vanchi Maniyacchi Railway Station which is 38 kms from Srivaikuntam. A special train will be run to Chennai from Vanchi Manyichchi Station. 

Air dropping of food packets for the stranded passengers from helicopter commenced from 10.15 a.m. at Srivaikuntam Railway station. 

Given the flood situation in southern Tamil Nadu, the Anna University examinations scheduled up to 23.12.2023 (Saturday) for the affiliated colleges in five districts Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Tenkasi and Virudhunagar and the Distance Education programme in Nagercoil Centre are postponed. 

The revised dates will be intimated later. 

Work to rescue about 800 passengers stranded at Srivaikuntam in southern Tamil Nadu is ‘going on’ and the exercise will be completed as soon as possible, an official said on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, the Army assisted evacuation of people from flood-hit areas and provided them medical care.

Though rainfall activity has almost come to a halt in most parts of southern Tamil Nadu, the inundation is still heavy, which continues to affect normalcy. 

PTI

Amidst the grim flood situation in four southern districts of Tamil Nadu, Governor R.N. Ravi has convened an emergency meeting of the heads of various Central government departments, including the defence forces and the National Disaster Response Force, at the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday to discuss the relief and rescue operations. 

The heads of the NDRF, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Airports Authority of India, Southern Railway, the Postal Department and BSNL would take part in Tuesday’s meeting to come up with a comprehensive plan to help the flood-affected people, in coordination with the State government authorities, sources said.

The government said people in the affected districts could contact the helpline numbers 8148539914 and 9445869848 through WhatsApp. They could also contact the toll-free numbers 1070, 1077, 0462 - 2501012 (Tirunelveli) and 0461 - 2340101 (Thoothukudi). Those with access to Twitter could reach out to the handles @tn_rescuerelief and @tnsdma.

Those who wish to donate relief materials, including bread, water, biscuits, milk powder, dry fruits, groceries, mats, blankets, towels, candles, matchboxes, clothes and sanitary napkins, could contact 7397766651 on WhatsApp. 

Approximately, 800 passengers in an express train were stranded in Thoothukudi district. An NDRF team has been ‘held up en route’ due to heavy flooding, Southern Railway said adding it has accommodated passengers in the train coaches itself.

The train is at the Srivaikuntam railway station and they will be evacuated by Tuesday resources are being mobilised for the purpose.

Due to soil erosion, the ballast over which railway tracks were fixed firmly was washed away in Srivaikuntam. Iron tracks attached to cement slabs for support dangled precariously. 

PTI