During the northeast monsoon, the southern part of India, including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and nearby areas, often experiences heavy rainfall. This season is also important for countries like Sri Lanka and the Maldives. However, when Cyclone Fengal made landfall near Puducherry on the night of November 30, it caused much more damage than anyone had expected.
The cyclone severely affected Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, reported that about 7 million families, or roughly 15 million people, were impacted by the cyclone’s effects.
Tragically, 16 people lost their lives due to the storm, including seven who died in a landslide in Tiruvannamalai, a district in Tamil Nadu. The cyclone also brought an unusual amount of rainfall, with some places receiving up to 40 to 50 cm of rain in just one day. This heavy rainfall caused floods, especially in the northern and northwestern parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The floods submerged over 2.21 lakh hectares of farmland, including 10,000 hectares in Puducherry. Farmers were devastated as their crops were washed away. As the cyclone weakened, it continued to move towards Karnataka, but the damage in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was already done.
The situation worsened because the South Pennai river, which is usually dry, suddenly overflowed with water, leading to even more flooding. On the day of the flood, the river had an enormous flow of 2.4 lakh cusecs of water, making the flooding more severe.
In response to this disaster, Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, asked the central government to release ₹2,000 crore in emergency funds to help the state recover. Meanwhile, Puducherry’s Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, announced ₹210 crore in aid for the affected areas. These funds are meant to provide relief and rebuild the areas hit hardest by the cyclone and floods.
This event has made it clear that the government needs to be better prepared for extreme weather events, as these types of storms and heavy rains are happening more often. Experts warn that such events will continue to increase in frequency due to climate change.
For example, last year, Kayalpattinam in Tamil Nadu received an incredible 95 cm of rainfall, and this year, the northern parts of the state saw similar rainfall levels. This shows that the region is increasingly at risk of such extreme weather events.
Experts believe that the government must take stronger, long-term actions to protect the people from future disasters. Some of the steps they suggest include strengthening the banks of rivers and lakes, regularly removing silt from water channels, and preventing illegal construction or encroachment on water bodies.
In Chennai, there is also a call for the government to release the report from the Advisory Committee for Mitigation and Management of Flood Risk in the city. This report, led by former civil servant V. Thiruppugazh, offers solutions for how the city can better prepare for floods.
The key message is that simply relying on traditional methods of water management is no longer enough. The government needs to take modern, practical steps to reduce the damage caused by floods and cyclones.
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