Cyclone Fengal: Sanction disaster relief fund for TN, Vaiko urges Home Minister Amit Shah

CHENNAI: The MDMK general secretary on Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to rush the rescue and relief materials, send a survey team to assess damages, and sanction adequate funds for Tamil Nadu to rehab the affected people and compensate farmers.

Raising the issue of the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the zero hour in Rajya Sabha, Vaiko said that the situation in Tamil Nadu is "very serious" due to heavy rains caused by the cyclone in various parts of the state.

He said that the heavy rains in Chennai and adjoining districts led to the electrocution of three people, while ten persons were killed in other districts, including in the landslides. He noted that thousands of acres of crops were damaged in the rains, and houses were destroyed in the floods.

DMK member M Mohamed Abdulla urged the Centre to provide the state with immediate financial relief assistance of Rs 2,000 crore. He said the cyclone had badly damaged the State's agriculture and infrastructure and caused the loss of lives and properties.

He also urged the Union Government to send a team to assess the damage caused by the cyclone and sought ex-gratia for the affected people.