12 dead, over 1.12 lakh first responders on the ground: Stalin cites scope of Cyclone Fengal in seeking Rs 2,000 crore from Centre

“The cyclone has caused unprecedented devastation across 14 districts of Tamil Nadu,” Stalin said.

He wrote that the state government has mobilised all available resources to provide relief and rehabilitation to the affected population. “Senior ministers and officers have been deputed to oversee operations in the districts, while nine teams from the National Disaster Response Force and nine teams from the State Disaster Response Force have been deployed. A dedicated workforce comprising 38,000 government officials and 1,12,000 trained first responders are actively engaged in rescue and relief operations,” Stalin wrote.

Relief measures include the establishment of shelters for displaced families and the distribution of food packets.

Stalin’s letter also spoke about the impact of the cyclone on infrastructure, agriculture, and livelihoods. “The catastrophic event has resulted in the loss of 12 human lives, 2,416 huts, 721 houses and 963 cattle, inundation of 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, damage to 9,576 km of roads, 1,847 culverts and 417 tanks, destruction of 1,649 km of electric conductors, 23,664 electric poles and 997 transformers, severe impairment of 1,650 panchayat buildings, 4,269 anganwadi centres, 205 primary health centres, 5,936 school buildings, 381 community halls and 623 water supply schemes,” he wrote.

Stalin called for swift action by the Union government to help Tamil Nadu recover from the disaster’s impact. “The state government has carried out an initial assessment of these damages and estimated that Rs 2,475 crores is required for temporary restoration efforts. Despite our best efforts, the scale of this disaster has overwhelmed the state’s resources and it needs urgent financial assistance to manage the fallout of this natural disaster,” Stalin wrote.