Puducherry: Heavy rains triggered by Cyclone Fengal have caused widespread flooding in several districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, prompting the Indian Army to launch multiple rescue missions on Sunday.
Flood-hit areas in Puducherry, including Krishna Nagar, Kuber Nagar, and Jiva Nagar, were the focus of the operations, with soldiers successfully evacuating hundreds of residents. Over 200 lives were saved in Krishna Nagar and Kuber Nagar alone.
By Sunday afternoon, rescue efforts in Jiva Nagar were still underway, with 30 soldiers deployed to assist stranded residents. Evacuations in other vulnerable areas were also ongoing.
Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy confirmed that the city received 50 cm of rainfall overnight, resulting in severe inundation. “Rescue teams are working tirelessly to evacuate those stranded in floodwaters,” he said during an inspection of the affected areas.
The Indian Army’s response began early Sunday morning when troops from the Chennai Garrison Battalion, under the Dakshin Bharat Area command, were mobilized. Acting on a request from the Puducherry District Collector around 1 a.m., a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) column, led by Major Ajay Sangwan, was swiftly dispatched. The team of one officer, six junior commissioned officers, and 62 personnel traveled 160 km overnight, reaching Puducherry by 5:30 a.m.
In Krishna Nagar, where water levels reached nearly five feet, Army personnel evacuated over 100 residents within the first two hours of operations. Nearly 500 homes in the area were affected.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin visited the state emergency operation center to oversee relief efforts. He urged the Union government to dispatch a central team to assess the situation and the extent of crop damage caused by Cyclone Fengal.
CM Stalin also inspected several locations in the Kolathur constituency, accompanied by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran and other officials. He reported that Amma canteens had distributed food packets to nearly 27,000 people since Saturday. Additionally, 21 of 23 waterlogged subways in Chennai have been cleared.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Fengal remained stationary as of Sunday morning, positioned approximately 120 km south-southwest of Chennai, 30 km north of Cuddalore, and 40 km east of Villupuram.
This cyclone has brought record-breaking rainfall to Puducherry, with the Union Territory receiving 48.4 cm of rain within 24 hours—the highest recorded in the past three decades.