Heavy rains wreak havoc in South Tamil Nadu: Rescue and relief operations in full swing

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: As the Southern Tamil Nadu faces severe flood crisis due to heavy rains that have lashed the region in the last 24 hours. The state and central governments have launched massive rescue and relief operations to help the affected people.

“On December 18, Tamil Nadu received unprecedented rains in the last 24 hours that have caused extensive flooding in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. The IAF responded swiftly and tasked Air Force Station Sulur with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, which is currently being undertaken by MI -17 V5 helicopter,” the Indian Air Force said in a post on ‘X’.

Indian Army rescued flood-affected people from the Vasavappapuram area in Thoothukudi. They rescued 118 people from the flood-affected areas of Vasaipuram in Tamil Nadu.

“Owing to incessant rains in Tamil Nadu, the Indian Army’s Relief Column was activated at Vasaipuram, Tamil Nadu, today. Till 9:30 pm, 17 ladies and 13 others, including children, were evacuated by the first column. The second column evacuated 12 women, including one pregnant woman, 6 children, including an infant and 12 others. Simultaneously, 26 women, 10 children and 28 others were evacuated by the third column,” the Indian Army said in a statement.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials also conducted rescue operations in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi area earlier today.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin held a review meeting on the flood situation in southern Tamil Nadu through a video conference from New Delhi. Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena, monitoring officers and concerned district collectors attended the meeting.

Meena also requested assistance from the armed forces to help rescue stranded people. He said that the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been called in to help with the unprecedented flooding and rains in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister MK Stalin said that he had instructed party cadres from the rain-affected districts to assist in the ongoing relief work. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said that he is monitoring the relief work and is in contact with officials.

Some districts in Tamil Nadu, such as Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari and Tenkasi, have been witnessing heavy rainfall since Sunday morning, triggering floods and disrupting normal life.

Several areas of Kanyakumari city also faced severe waterlogging and flood-like situations as the region continued to receive heavy rainfall over the past few days.

Issuing a red alert in South Tamil Nadu, the India Meteorological Department said that heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy falls–above 204.4 mm–are likely to continue over the region on Monday.

The Tamil Nadu government has declared a holiday for all schools, colleges, private institutions, banks and financial institutions in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari and Tenkasi districts on Monday due to heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has convened a meeting tomorrow (December 19) in Raj Bhavan, Chennai, with senior officials of Central Agencies and Armed Forces to review the situation in flood-affected southern districts of Tamil Nadu and to mobilise the maximum possible resources for rescue and relief, as per a statement from the Raj Bhavan