The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has approved release of ₹944.80 crore to Tamil Nadu government as a Central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to help people affected by cyclone ‘Fengal’
An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) has been sent in cyclonic storm ‘Fengal’ affected Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for an on-the-spot assessment of the damages. After assessment reports of IMCTs are received, additional financial assistance from National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) will be approved to the disaster affected State/ UT, as per the established procedure, says a release.
More than ₹21,718.716 crore has been released to 28 States during this year. This include ₹14878.40 crore from SDRF to 26 States; ₹4808.32 crore from NDRF to 18 States; ₹1385.45 crore from State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 11 States and ₹646.546 crore from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to 7 States.
The MHA has approved release of ₹944.80 crore to Tamil Nadu, as both the instalments of Central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to help the State in providing relief assistance to people affected by cyclone “Fengal’ on November 30.
In addition to financial assistance, Central Government has also provided all logistic assistance, including deployment of requisite NDRF teams, Army teams and Air Force support to all the flood/ cyclone affected States, the release said.
On December 2, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin urged the Centre to immediately assist ₹2,000 crore from the NDRF to temporarily restore damaged infrastructure and livelihood affected by Cyclone Fengal.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin said Cyclone Fengal has caused unprecedented devastation across 14 districts of Tamil Nadu. It initially brought heavy rainfall to the districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai. Subsequently, districts such as Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, and Villupuram experienced extremely heavy rainfall.
Upon its landfall on December 1, the districts of Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, and Tiruvannamalai suffered extensive damage to roads and electricity lines as wind speeds reached a very high speed of 90 km/h. The storm also caused heavy inundation and damages in the interior districts of Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Ranipet, Vellore, and Tirupathur.
The deluge has caused extensive disruptions, inundating vast areas, displacing population and severely impacting infrastructure and livelihood. A total of 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals have been adversely affected by this calamity. The districts of Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai and Kallakurichi, in particular, received rainfall equivalent to an entire season’s average (more than 50 cm) in a single day, resulting in widespread flooding and severe damage to infrastructure and crops.
The catastrophic event has resulted in the loss of 12 human lives, 2,416 huts, 721 houses and 963 cattle, inundation of 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, damage to 9,576 km of roads, 1,847 culverts and 417 tanks, destruction of 1,649 km of electric conductors, 23,664 electric poles and 997 transformers, severe impairment of 1,650 Panchayat buildings, 4,269 Anganwadi Centers, 205 Primary Health Centers, 5,936 school buildings, 381 community halls and 623 water supply schemes, the letter said.