NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu faced unprecedented flooding on Monday despite Cyclone Fengal losing strength, as relentless heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across the state.
Inundated roads and bridges cut off access to villages and residential colonies, while vast stretches of standing crops were submerged. The deluge also disrupted rail and road traffic, leaving passengers stranded for hours.
Visuals from Krishnagiri’s Uthangiri bus station showed several buses and vehicles submerged in floodwaters. In some instances, buses and cars were swept away by the rapidly flowing waters. Footage showed vehicles, including those operated by local tour operators, being dragged off roads in Uthangarai and into low-lying areas. Connectivity between Uthangarai and nearby towns such as Krishnagiri and Tiruvannamalai was severely impacted, further isolating the region.
Parts of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts witnessed record-breaking floods, with rainfall levels unseen in two decades. Uthangarai recorded a staggering 50 cm of rainfall, while Villupuram district received up to 42 cm, and Harur in Dharmapuri registered 33 cm. Cuddalore and Tiruvannamalai recorded 16 cm each within 24 hours, from December 1 morning to the following day.
The flooding has forced thousands into relief camps. Villupuram district authorities reported that 3,617 individuals have been housed in 65 relief shelters, supported by 15 active disaster relief teams.
Raging floodwaters have overwhelmed low-lying areas, marooning neighborhoods and villages across Villupuram, Krishnagiri, and Dharmapuri districts. In Krishnagiri, the Pochampalli police station was submerged under three feet of water, with torrents rushing through its premises.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs 2,000 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for emergency restoration and rehabilitation efforts. Stalin highlighted that the cyclone caused unprecedented havoc across 14 districts, impacting 1.5 crore people, submerging 2.11 lakh hectares of farmland, and severely damaging critical infrastructure.