As continuous heavy rainfall persisted in Tamil Nadu, authorities declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Thirunelveli and Tenkasi districts, along with a general holiday in Thuthukudi district. Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena reported that ten individuals lost their lives due to the heavy rain, with disruptions in normal life occurring in several southern districts.
Contrary to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast, the affected districts experienced extremely heavy rainfall within two days, according to Meena. The fatalities resulted from incidents such as wall collapses and electrocution in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts.
Providing further insights into the situation, Tirunelveli District Collector KP Karthikeyan confirmed nine casualties in the district. Due to the severe weather conditions, train services were affected, leading to the cancellation or partial cancellation of several trains in the region.
As the southern districts faced record rainfall and flooding, rescue and relief operations were underway. The Southern Railway released a list of affected train services. In response to the calamity, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and submitted a petition requesting the declaration of the damage caused by the Michaung storm and heavy rain in the southern districts as a national calamity.
Stalin urged PM Modi to allocate funds for livelihood support and infrastructure repair in the affected areas. The Chief Minister emphasized the unprecedented nature of the damage, citing historical rainfall levels not witnessed in the past century in the southern districts. Stalin sought immediate relief from the National Disaster Fund and requested a total of 7,300 crore for immediate relief and 12,000 crore for permanent relief.
Highlighting the proactive measures taken, Stalin mentioned the deployment of ministers, IAS officers, and rescue teams in the affected regions. SDRF and NDRF teams, along with other forces, were engaged in rescue operations, with over 12,500 people rescued and sheltered. Food distribution, including the use of helicopters in flooded areas, was ongoing, with continuous monitoring of the situation by the Chief Secretary and district officers.
