NEW DELHI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chief Minister of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin Tuesday sought more helicopters from the federal government for conducting relief and rescuing operations in the areas reeling under floods, where hundreds remain stranded.
Unprecedented rains over the past two days have severely impacted several southern districts of Tamil Nadu, where water has inundated low-lying areas and severely affected road connectivity, officials said.
According to Stalin, over 4 million people have been marooned due to flooding. He said Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts of the state had witnessed historic rains since 1871.
"The situation is extremely serious in Srivaikuntam and Tuticorin towns, due to large flooding in Thamirabaraniriver and adjoining areas," read a letter from Stalin to federal defense minister Rajnath Singh.
Officials said disaster response force personnel have been pressed in to undertake rescue and relief operations, besides relief material mobilized all over the state. However, these materials could not be distributed as connecting roads have been inundated.
"Given the enormity of the disaster and the large number of habitations to be covered, we need more helicopters for rescue and relief distribution," Stalin wrote in the message.
Local media reports said at least five people have been killed in rain-related incidents and flooding.
Stalin told the media that 12,653 people had been rescued and shifted to 141 relief camps, where they were provided with food, water, medicines and other essentials.
The heavy rainfall has also led to the complete or partial cancellation of many trains.
The flooding in the state has come at a time when it was trying to recover from the damage caused by cyclone Michaung in Chennai and three adjoining districts earlier this month, which killed over a dozen people. ■
