In the wake of devastating floods triggered by Cyclone Fengal, the Indian Army has undertaken extensive rescue operations across Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. With heavy rainfall battering the region, the situation has left thousands stranded and caused widespread damage to property and infrastructure.
#WATCH | Indian Army carries out rescue and relief operations due to the flood-like situation in parts of Puducherry following rainfall and landfall of Cyclone Fengal#CycloneFengal | #FengalCyclone | #Puducherry | #PuducherryRains | @adgpi pic.twitter.com/uxKi9rmrmK
— DD News (@DDNewslive) December 1, 2024
On Sunday, the Indian Army’s Chennai Garrison Battalion, operating under the Dakshin Bharat Area, was mobilized for flood-relief efforts in Puducherry. Acting on an emergency requisition from the District Collector at 1 am, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) column—comprising one officer, six junior commissioned officers, and 62 other ranks—set off from Chennai at 2 am, covering 160 kilometers to reach Puducherry by 5:30 am.
#FloodReliefOperations#HADR#NationBuilding#IndianArmy column is carrying out relief and rescue operations to provide succour to those affected by floods due to #CycloneFengal at Puducherry. More than 100 civilians have been rescued. Efforts to rescue remaining affected people… https://t.co/0bY5DEAZG5 pic.twitter.com/hJA1VXKmhA
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 1, 2024
Rescue operations were concentrated in Krishna Nagar, Kuber Nagar, and Jiva Nagar—areas severely impacted by the floods. Over 200 lives were saved in Krishna Nagar and Kuber Nagar alone, with efforts still ongoing in Jiva Nagar, where 30 soldiers remain on the ground assisting stranded residents.
Cyclone Fengal unleashed torrential rain, with Puducherry recording 48.4 centimeters of rainfall in 24 hours until 8:30 am on December 1. This marks the highest single-day rainfall in the Union Territory in nearly 30 years. Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy revealed that the city received 50 centimeters of rain overnight, causing unprecedented flooding and necessitating large-scale evacuations.
In neighboring Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin conducted an inspection at the state emergency operation center on Sunday. Stalin urged the Union government to dispatch a central team to evaluate the extent of crop damage and other losses caused by Cyclone Fengal.
