The Met Department has warned of more rains for the next one week.
Advertisement
On December 1, in just a span of 12 hours, Chennai has received a record breaking 272 mm of rainfall.
He said: “The Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu in this hour of need”.
Train services and flights to Chennai remain cancelled and the navy has pressed fishing boats into service to transport people from the worst-hit suburbs to temples, schools and wedding halls.
Dozens of trains to the state have been delayed this week, and on Thursday the main train station was so heavily flooded that it had to shut down operations. Prices of milk, vegetables, and essential commodities also shot up because of a shortage in supply.
Chennai: The marginalized communities in the flood-hit areas of Tamil Nadu will find it hardest to recover, an NGO said here on Thursday.
Modi, who flew into Chennai earlier in the day, said he had directed that Rs.1,000 crore be released to Tamil Nadu for immediate relief to the flood victims. In New Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the situation in Chennai and three other districts was “alarming”.
The Cabinet Secretary asked the Ministries concerned to provide necessary assistance in a coordinated manner to the state government, ensuring that the rescue and evacuation of the people is their top priority, the release said.
Many spent the night at makeshift shelters across the city, including the Tambaram railway station that housed stranded passengers.
More monsoon downpours bring disruption to southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Singh also announced that the floods have left 269 people dead.
Tamil Nadu is a major rice and sugar cane producing region and a senior member of a local farmers association said floods had washed out up to four agricultural districts.
In many areas, water level reached up to the second storey and as per a statement issued by the Army almost 18,000 people were evacuated from their respective rooftops.
“If you see the past trends from the high intensity rainfall in Kashmir, to the events in March where we had hailstorms, to now unusual rainfall that is happening in Chennai, you can draw a parallel that climate change is also a part of the reason”.
The Army is also rushing in additional nine rescue and relief teams with one medical team from Secunderabad and Hyderabad to Arakkonam by IAF’s C17 Globemaster for addressing any contingencies.
Advertisement
President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday condoled the loss of lives due to the torrential rains in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu.
