After a speedy assessment of the damage in the State due to the unprecedented November rains, in which four lakh people have been displaced, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday has asked the Centre to sanction Rs. 8,481 crore for carrying out temporary as well as permanent restoration of infrastructure.
In her letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, Ms. Jayalalithaa has asked the Centre to immediately sanction Rs. 2,000 crore to continue rescue and relief operations with the “same vigour”.
She submitted a memorandum containing a detailed assessment of damage and requirement of funds so that the the Centre could expeditiously release the assistance as some weeks were still left in the monsoon during which period more weather systems were expected to develop.
The funds required were well beyond the resources available with the State, including the State Disaster Response Fund. Keeping in view the urgency of restoring many of the infrastructure facilities and services to the flood-affected people and to support the State which was taking up massive scale relief operations, Ms. Jayalalithaa asked the Prime Minister to depute a Central team immediately to make an on-the-spot assessment of damage and to release central financial assistance without any delay.
The November rains were extremely heavy and sustained for several days leaving a trail of damage and destruction. To cite an example, at Neyveli, it rained 437 mm on November 9. Chennai has received the second heaviest monthly rainfall in the past more than 100 years in the first 20 days of November, the Chief Minister pointed out.
As many as 169 lives were lost during this monsoon beginning October 10. More than 4 lakh people were shifted to relief camps and provided food and shelter. Rescue and relief operations were undertaken on a war footing. There was widespread damage to property including dwelling units and crops, she said.
Infrastructure, including roads and bridges, stormwater drainage systems, water supply and sewerage systems and electricity supply systems have been battered in many areas. “The State had sanctioned Rs. 500-crore initially, but the damage indicates a much higher financial requirement. The extent of damage is still unfolding,” she said.
Centre sanctions Rs. 939 crore
The Central government has sanctioned Rs. 939.63 crore as immediate flood relief to Tamil Nadu. According to an official release here, the memorandum on flood damage and funds required was submitted at the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday morning. Immediately, the Centre released Rs. 939 crore and informed that it would send a team soon to assess the flood damage to provide more grants, the release said.
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