Cyclone Fengal: Central Team assess damages in affected districts of TN

CHENNAI: The seven-member high level Central team on Saturday visited the Cyclone Fengal ravaged districts of Tamil Nadu and made an on the spot assessment of the devastation caused by the calamity.

The Inter-Ministerial team was headed by Union Home Ministry Joint Director (DM) Dr Rajesh Gupta.

Also Read: Cyclone Fengal: Central team to arrive in Tamil Nadu to assess cyclone and flood damage

The team comprised Sonamani Haobam, Director, Department of Expenditure, Union Finance Ministry, Dr K.Ponusamt, Director, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Hyderabad, R.Saravanan, Director, Jal Shakti Ministry, Dhanapalan Kumaran, Ex-engineering, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Rahul Bachketi, Assistant Director, Power Ministry an Balajee K.M. AD (Rurban), Rural Development Ministry.

The team split into two groups and visited the Cyclone-battered Villuppuram, Cuddalore, Krishanagiri, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai districts in TN and Puducherry and assessed the damages caused by the Cyclone fury.

Also Read: Cyclone Fengal damage report: MHA’s figures stand in stark contrast with Tamil Nadu govt data

While one team visited the worst hit Villupuram, Cuddalore and Kallakurichi, the other team inspected the damages in the other districts.

The team will also assess the damages caused by the Cyclone in the neighbouring Union Territory of Puducherry.

During the on the spot assessment, senior officials explained the extent of damages caused due to the Cyclone-induced record rains, besides the inundation caused to standing Paddy and horticultural crops and damages caused to houses, huts and other infrastructure facilities, including roads, bridges and electric transformers and poles.

The team members also met the affected people and the farmers and had a first hand information on the damages caused by the rain fury.

Also Read: Rs 2000 aid for cyclone Fengal insufficient, says Thiruma

Upon their arrival in Chennai on Friday, the Central team had a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who submitted a memorandum urging it to recommend Rs 6,675 crore to the state for relief, restoration and rehabilitation works.

During the meeting, Mr Stalin explained in detail the steps taken by the State government in the Cyclone-hit districts and urged the Team to expeditiously recommend to the Centre to allot necessary funds for temporary and permanent relief works.

He also told the Team that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to him over phone to ascertain the damages caused by the Cyclone and the relief works undertaken by the government.

Mr Stalin said he had also written a letter to Mr Modi seeking immediate release of Rs 2,000 crore from NDRF funds as interim assistance to undertake temporary restoration of damaged infrastructure and livelihood.

He also explained to the Team on the Cyclone relief assistance announced by the TN government including Rs 2,000 for all cardholders in three worst hit districts, Rs five lakh each to the families of those killed in Cyclone, besides compensation to loss of cattle, goats, standing crops, which were damaged to the extent of several hectares and for the damages caused to houses and huts.

The deluge has caused extensive disruptions, inundating vast areas, displacing population and severely impacting infrastructure and livelihood, he said.

A total of 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals have been adversely affected by this calamity.

In the letter to Mr Modi, he said the catastrophic event has resulted in 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.

Mr Stalin said the State Government has carried out an initial assessment of these damages and estimated that Rs. 2,475 crores is required for temporary restoration efforts also and sought immediate release of Rs 2,000 crore for relief works and depute a central team to assess the damages.

After a detailed assessment of the havoc caused by the calamity, the State government has now urged the Central Team to recommend to the Centre an assistance of Rs 6,675 crore to take up relief, restoration and rehabilitation works.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday evening approved release of Rs 944.80 crore to Tamil Nadu, as Cyclone Fengal relief to Tamil Nadu, besides deputing a high level Inter-Ministerial team to assess the damages caused by the natural calamity in rain-battered districts.