THOOTHUKUDI/CHENNAI: After the escalation of war of words over the allocation of central relief funds for four flood-hit districts of Tamil Nadu, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday visited the southern districts as the state kept its fingers crossed while handing a comprehensive 72-page memorandum to the Union minister.
Chief Minister M K Stalin said that the memorandum underscored the critical need for funds in response, relief, and restoration efforts for Southern Tamil Nadu following extreme rainfall in the four districts of Thoothkudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari.
“Having weathered 50 cyclones in the past century, Tamil Nadu, with the second-largest coastline in India, remains under constant threat. Recent torrential rainfall in southern districts adds to the woes,” the CM added.
"With only limited fund available under State Disaster Response fund (SDRF), the damage far exceeds the current resources. Tamil Nadu earnestly seeks substantial assistance from the Union Govt to confront these unprecedented challenges," tweeted Stalin.
Later speaking to The New Indian Express, DMK MP Kanimozhi said that the review meeting with the Union Finance Minister went quite well and she was briefed by officials about the areas hit by the flood. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu accompanied the minister during her visit to the flood-affected areas. She said that Thoothukudi district was the worst hit during the floods triggered by extreme rainfall.
Recounting the plight of the families in Thoothukudi district, Kanimozhi said that almost everyone was hit by the disaster. "People lost everything. Farmers lost crops, small shops were inundated as such they were in debt. Huts and concrete homes were destroyed. The entire infrastructure was damaged. The salt pans, brick kilns and traders were impacted. We are hopeful that the Centre will help the state by providing funds adequately to rebuild the infrastructure," the DMK MP said.
Nirmala Sitharaman reviewed the relief, welfare disbursement and restoration work progressing in the flood-hit areas. Ministers and top bureaucrats were present at the collectorate. She glimpsed through the photo collage established at the collectorate which explained the severity of the flood damages caused to the government and private properties in villages and the urban areas. She also chaired a review meeting.
Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration SK Prabakar, TANGEDCO Chairman and Managing Director Rajesh Lakhani, Additional Chief Secretary for Health Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Thoothukudi collector G Lakshmipathy, Tirunelveli collector Dr K Karthikeyan, Corporation Commissioner Dinesh Kumar, and others were present.
Sitharaman also inspected the water evacuation at Kurinji Nagar in Thoothukudi corporation, damaged Korampallam tank and Anthoniarpuram bridge, and other damages incurred at interior villages in Murappanadu, Srivaikuntam, Eral and Valavallan.
Earlier, a four-member central team visited Thoothukudi to assess the damage caused by the recent downpour and flooding in the district. The state has been depending on the defence forces to carry out relief operations after the rail and road infrastructure was impacted.