CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday announced that relief assistance to the tune of Rs 700 crore was disbursed to 14 lakh families affected by the recent heavy rains and floods on Monday and assistance for 16.42 lakh families would be disbursed by January 11. She added that the Central team, which visited the flood-affected areas in November, would be visiting the regions again for two days from Tuesday. Marking the commencement of disbursal of the relief package, including the financial assistance, five families received it from the Chief Minister at the Secretariat.
“The Central team made an on-the-spot assessment of damage caused during the first three spells of heavy rains in November. The same team will be inspecting the flood-affected areas and will file a supplementary report to the government of India. I hope the Central government will extend sufficient financial assistance to Tamil Nadu for relief and restoration works,” the Chief Minister said in a statement here.
Giving details about the extent of damage caused by the floods, the Chief Minister said 49 people lost their lives between the commencement of Northeast monsoon on October 1 and till October 27. Between October 28 and December 31, 2015, due to heavy rains and floods, 421 people lost their lives. “So far, financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh has been given to the families of 245 people and for the rest, the assistance will be given within a few days,” she added.
The CM said agricultural crops in 3,47,297 hectares and horticultural crops in 35,471 hectares were damaged due to the rains. So far, relief assistance to the tune of Rs 29.48 crore has been deposited in the bank accounts of 68,350 farmers and assistance for the rest of them would be disbursed within a few days.
She said the enumeration by the Revenue Department found that 25,48,152 houses were marooned in the floods, while 4,93,716 hutments were damaged fully or partially. “The information about 14 lakh families has been fed into computer records already and the financial assistance will be deposited on Monday and it would be credited in their account on Tuesday (January 5),” the CM said and added that 30.42 lakh families affected by the floods could receive the package of 10 kg rice, one dhoti and one saree through fair price shops by showing their bank pass books.
The package would disbursed till the end of February. For those who lost hutments, Rs 10,000 would be given and for those whose houses were marooned, Rs 5,000, in addition to the rice, dhoti and saree package.
As many as 3,785 head of cattle, 8,136 goats, 109 pigs and 85,895 hens had died in floods and so far Rs 7.78 crore had been disbursed as compensation to their owners and the disbursal would be completed within a few days. Fish seed farms in 130.90 hectares of land, 3,047 equipment and 8,106 nets were damaged in the heavy rains. A total of 20 catamarans had been damaged fully and 231 partially.
Big stats
470 dead
30.42 lakh families affected
25,48,152 houses marooned
4,93,716 hutments damaged
Loss to Farms
3,47,297 hectares of agricultural crops
35,471 hectares horticultural crops
130.90 hectares fish seed farms
3,047 fishing equipment