Cyclone Fengal: Schools in Puducherry and Karaikal shut due to heavy rain, destruction
All educational institutions in Puducherry and Karaikal will remain closed on Monday following the ravages caused by Cyclone Fengal, which made a landfall near Puducherry on November 30. Over the weekend, it had weakened but torrential rains are continuing to inundate the region, causing floods and interfering with normal life. Relief work has begun and damage has been assessed.
The impact of the storm was severe, mainly on flooding. Several low-lying areas got inundated, and streets became waterlogged. Many residential colonies in Puducherry were affected, including Venkata Nagar, Kamaraj Nagar, Vallalar Salai, and Kamarajar Salai. As water levels began to rise, many residents stayed indoors. Heavy rains also led to power outages across the union territory, with electricity services being gradually resumed on Monday morning after waterlogged substations were cleared.
Reports said that four individuals have been reported killed by the disaster, as well as details on who those are, which authorities were said not yet to release. A mass rescue response was mounted by Army and its units to evacuate flood victims inundated within the confines of streets and houses. Rescued residents were then rushed to shelters. Official operations were intensified in evacuation areas.
Relief camps were opened everywhere in the region. The people stranded by the flood were shifted to these camps and food packets distributed to them. Teams from Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, NDRF joined along with Army personnel shifting the elderly and other vulnerable sections of the population to safer localities.
According to A Kulothungan, district collector of Puducherry, the cyclone had left its imprint with heaviest rainfall the region experienced in more than 50 years. Now attention has been paid towards ascertaining the total damage done both by the cyclone and torrential rain. Argued Kulothungan, relief camps were opened with a dramatic speed and administered by voluntary organizations like Pondicherry Heritage Round Table 167 to bring food to the victims.
Chief Minister of Puducherry, N Rangasamy visited the cyclone and rain-hit areas on Sunday to see how relief operations were taking place. A detailed report is being prepared of the damage that was done due to the cyclone and heavy rains and is likely to be submitted to the Centre seeking relief. The Puducherry administration is keeping watch over the situation with Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan too visiting some of the affected places.
The government has taken several steps to revive the basic services and ensure the safety of the residents. Electricity was gradually restored to most areas in the region, and efforts to pump out water from substation areas continue. Public services and supplies are being given priority to the affected communities to immediately avail support.Now that the cyclone has lost its strength, the efforts now focus on rehabilitation and relief. Authorities open up roads, offer shelter, food, and water for affected populations. The National Disaster Response Force teams and volunteers at the local level assist in evacuating residents and relief supplies.With the situation still on, the state government continues to ensure that the relief operations are conducted with effectiveness.
Conclusion:The final damage estimation will be forwarded to the central government to seek additional aid for the normalization of the affected regions in Puducherry and Karaikal.Cyclone Fengal reminds people of how vulnerable coastal regions are toward extreme weather events. There is a demand for better preparedness and resilience to mitigate the effects of natural disasters in the future.