Puducherry: All government and private schools, along with colleges in Puducherry, remained closed on Tuesday following torrential rainfall caused by Cyclone Fengal. The Union Territory’s Education Minister, A Namachivayam, announced the closure as the cyclone triggered widespread flooding, especially in Puducherry and northern Tamil Nadu’s coastal regions.
Chief Minister N Rangaswamy revealed relief measures to assist those affected. “Puducherry received 48% more rainfall than expected due to Cyclone Fengal. We will provide Rs 5,000 to each ration cardholder affected by the cyclone. Additionally, Rs 30,000 per hectare will be given to farmers who lost their crops, and Rs 10,000 will be allocated for repairing damaged boats,” Rangaswamy stated. The heavy rains have reportedly affected 10,000 hectares of farmland and damaged 50 boats in the region.
The Sankaraparani River area faced devastating floods, submerging over 200 homes in NR Nagar. Rescue operations, led by the Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), continue to evacuate stranded families. Boats have been deployed to navigate submerged streets and assist residents in flooded zones.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Fengal made landfall near Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on November 30, weakening into a deep depression. Despite this, Puducherry recorded an unprecedented 46 cm of rainfall within 24 hours, surpassing its previous record of 21 cm in October 2004. This marks the region’s heaviest rainfall in over three decades.
The IMD reported that Cyclone Fengal, now stationary, lies 30 km north of Cuddalore and continues to affect weather patterns in the area.
