New Delhi: Opposition MPs on Tuesday appealed to the Central government to provide all possible help to the Tamil Nadu government in tackling the situation arising due to cyclone Michaung.
Heavy rains due to the cyclone wreaked havoc in Chennai and its suburbs on Monday, leaving 12 people dead.
Speaking to PTI at Parliament complex, Congress’ Mavelikkara MP Kodikunnil Suresh said the Centre must provide all the assistance to Tamil Nadu for tackling the impact of the cyclone.
He also appealed to the BJP-led government to refrain from indulging in politics to “divert” the issue.
“The Central government should give all the assistance for tackling the cyclone issue in Tamil Nadu. Chennai is worst affected,” he said.
“I would appeal to the Centre, especially Home Minister (Amit Shah) to provide all assistance to the state of Tamil Nadu to tackle this cyclone,” he added.
CPI-M MP from Coimbatore PR Natarajan said the cyclone has caused “so much damage in the southern parts, including Chennai, and some other districts as well” and demanded that the Centre immediately send a team for assessment of the impact of cyclone.
“It is the biggest cyclone in 40 years. Our demand is that the Central government immediately send a team to assess the damage,” Natarajan told PTI
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has sought from the Centre an interim financial assistance of Rs 5,000 crore to provide relief to affected people and rebuild infrastructure damaged by incessant rains in Chennai and some other districts of the state.
“Everything is coming to a grinding halt in Chennai, flights are not operating while trains are stopped. People are closeted in their homes. Things are going from bad to worse. That’s why the chief minister (M K Stalin) has asked for Rs 5,000 crore for interim relief measures,” senior DMK leader and Sriperumbudur MP T R Baalu told PTI.
K Kanimozhi, DMK MP from Thoothukkudi, hoped that the Union government will help and support the Tamil Nadu government “in whatever possible way”, saying the M K Stalin government is “doing its best” to ensure that people are safe.
“It’s really a bad situation in the state. Situation is quite alarming…The chief minister has spoken to the Home Minister (Amit Shah), requesting for help. So we hope that the Centre will support the Tamil Nadu government and help us in whatever possible way,” Kanimozhi told PTI.
According to officials, severe cyclonic storm Michaung’s landfall was currently underway with the eye of the cyclone situated near Bapatla in south Andhra Pradesh coast.
The weather system over the west-central Bay of Bengal, running along and off the south Andhra Pradesh coast is moving nearly northwards, parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and is expected to complete crossing in the next two hours, an official said.
The Amaravati Meteorological Centre noted that the intensity of gales near the centre of the severe cyclonic storm is 90-100 km per hour and gusting up to 110 kmph.
According to data shared with PTI by Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, at least 9,454 people have been evacuated from the districts of Konaseema, Kakinada, Krishna, Bapatla and Prakasam to safety in 211 relief camps.
Anuradha Chinta, YSR Congress Party MP from Andhra Pradesh’s Amalapuram Lok Sabha constituency, said arrangements have been made by the Andhra Pradesh government to tackle the situation in the state in view of the cyclone.
“All precautions are being taken. District administration has been assigned (its task) with proper guidelines. The Chief Minister’s Office has been monitoring the situation across all the districts,” Chinta told PTI.
“People have been evacuated. Entire administration working on a war footing. Fishermen have been asked to stay at home,” she added.
