In response to the devastating flooding in Puducherry, troops from the Chennai Garrison Battalion of the Indian Army were mobilized early Sunday morning to assist with rescue operations. This rapid response came after a requisition from the Puducherry District Collector at approximately 1 am. The Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) team comprised one officer, six junior commissioned officers, and 62 soldiers.
Departing from Chennai at 2 am, the team traveled a distance of 160 kilometers and arrived in Puducherry around 5:30 am. Upon arrival, they were briefed on the critical situation in the Krishna Nagar locality, where water levels rose to nearly five feet, leaving around 500 houses submerged and residents stranded. The rescue efforts commenced around 6:15 am, resulting in the evacuation of over 100 individuals within the first two hours.
The flooding in the region is attributed to Cyclone Fengal, which has been stationary for several hours, located close to the union territory at around 30 kilometers north of Cuddalore and 40 kilometers east of Villupuram. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that as of 5:30 am, the cyclone remains stationary about 120 kilometers south-southwest of Chennai. Forecasts indicate that it is expected to move westward slowly and may weaken into a deep depression over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry within the next six hours.
According to the IMD, the cyclonic storm lay centered near latitude 12.0°N and longitude 79.8°E, with continuous monitoring of the system being conducted. In light of the situation, a red alert has been issued for northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and neighboring southern Andhra Pradesh.
As a consequence of Cyclone Fengal, high tides and rough sea conditions have been observed along the beaches in Chennai. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecasted “isolated heavy to very heavy” rainfall for the city on Sunday. Local authorities have urged residents in affected areas to stay indoors and comply with safety instructions, as numerous individuals from nearby areas have already been relocated to relief camps in Kalpakkam, situated in the Chengalpattu district.
