Chennai:The Central government has sanctioned ₹944.8 crore as relief aid for Tamil Nadu in response to the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal. A central inter-ministerial team has begun on-ground assessments of the damage across the state and the Union Territory of Puducherry, marking the first step towards providing additional assistance based on their findings. The team will conduct its surveys on Saturday and Sunday.
In its preliminary damage report, the Tamil Nadu government has estimated a requirement of ₹2,475 crore for relief measures. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had earlier requested ₹2,000 crore as interim relief. In response, the Central government has approved ₹944.8 crore as two installments of the central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to support relief efforts, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the central government emphasized its commitment to standing with states affected by natural disasters. The MHA highlighted that further financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) would be approved based on the Inter-Ministerial Central Team's (IMCT) assessment reports.
The IMCT, led by Rajesh Gupta, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, arrived in Chennai on Friday evening and met with Chief Minister Stalin at the state secretariat. The team held discussions with senior state officials to finalize inspection sites. Members of the team represent various central ministries, including Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Finance, Jal Shakti, Road Transport, Power, and Rural Development.
The team will survey affected districts over the weekend, focusing on Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri. Cyclone Fengal has severely impacted 14 districts, with over half suffering significant damage. To expedite the assessment, the team plans to split into smaller groups.
In Puducherry, where infrastructure and agricultural lands have suffered heavy losses, preparations for the visit are underway. District Collector A. Kulothungan has instructed officials to compile detailed damage reports.
Cyclone Fengal has directly affected 1.5 crore people across 14 districts, displacing 69 lakh families and resulting in 40 fatalities. Additionally, the cyclone claimed the lives of 3,000 cattle and 2.5 lakh poultry.
Heavy rainfall exceeding 50 centimeters in a single day submerged districts like Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi. Other affected areas include Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Ranipet, and Krishnagiri.
The state government has stated that despite its best efforts, the scale of the disaster has overwhelmed its resources, necessitating urgent financial assistance. Tamil Nadu's initial assessment revealed that ₹2,475 crore is required for temporary restoration efforts, with Chief Minister Stalin describing the devastation as "unprecedented" in his letter to the Centre.
The central government has released over ₹21,718 crore to 28 states for disaster relief this year, including ₹14,878.40 crore from SDRF, ₹4,808.32 crore from NDRF, ₹1,385.45 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF), and ₹646.546 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).
In addition to financial aid, logistical support such as NDRF teams, Army units, and Air Force assistance has been deployed to affected regions to mitigate the hardships faced by the people.
With IANS inputs