Thousands displaced, trains cancelled as Cyclone Fengal continues devastation in Tamil Nadu

Chief Minister M K Stalin inspected the situation in Villupuram district on Monday and said thousands of families were relocated to safer areas. He said relief camps were set up “with all basic amenities including food, water, and medical facilities”, and that the government is closely monitoring the situation to address the immediate needs of the affected people. He said the administration would “stand by the people during this time of distress and work tirelessly to bring life back to normal”.

In Vikravandi, rising floodwaters over an arterial bridge that connects the town to Mundiyampakkam led Southern Railway to suspend train operations on Monday. Among the cancelled services were the Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Vande Bharat Express and several other key routes linking northern Tamil Nadu to the central and southern regions.

The Thenpennai river remains in spate, inundating low-lying areas in Cuddalore and neighbouring districts.

In neighbouring Krishnagiri district, lakes and reservoirs overflowed, inundating roads and homes. Uthangarai recorded 503 mm rainfall, washing away vehicles and cutting off access to Tiruvannamalai. Pochampalli, which received 250 mm rain, saw floodwaters breach Konannur lake, inundating shops and the local police station.

Krishnagiri saw a district-wide average of 367.90 mm rain, and the Nilgiris recorded 23.72 mm. The water level at Pambar Dam reached 17.78 feet, and released 3,345 cusecs of water.

In Puducherry, tmaiChief Minister N Rangasamy announced Rs 5,000 in relief for ration card holders and promised to send a detailed damage assessment to the central government. The Army has been deployed to assist in evacuating stranded residents.

Seven people, including five children, were feared trapped in a building buried under mudslides on the slopes of Annamalaiyar Hill in Tiruvannamalai. Rescue teams, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been working with the assistance of sniffer dogs. However, some locals suggested the residents may have sought shelter elsewhere during the storm, but District Collector D Bhaskar Pandian said they would go ahead with the rescue mission before ruling out casualties.

The storm has also wreaked havoc in agricultural regions, especially in Uthangarai. Heavy rainfall swelled the Singarapettai Thirthagirivalasai lake, flooding 55 hectares of agricultural land in villages like Nayakkanur and Nadupatti.

CM Stalin deputed Housing and Urban Development Minister S Muthusamy and Tourism Minister R Rajendran to coordinate relief measures in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts. Electricity remains disrupted in many areas, and teams are racing to restore power, clear fallen trees, and repair roads.

Floodwaters have forced over 300 residents in Uthangarai and Pochampalli into relief camps. Villupuram’s connectivity — a critical link between Chennai and other regions of Tamil Nadu — has been severely impacted. A senior revenue official who visited Villupuram on Sunday and was coordinating operations in Uthangarai on Monday said the rainfall and water inundation in both areas have been unprecedented. “Something I have never seen in my entire career in these areas,” the official said.

Schools and colleges in Villupuram, Krishnagiri, and Cuddalore districts were closed on Monday, with more closures expected if the rains persist.

In Ooty, rains claimed the life of a 45-year-old man, whose house collapsed under the deluge. The Nilgiris district recorded an average of 23.72 mm of rainfall, adding to the misery in the hill station.

The IMD on Monday morning downgraded Cyclone Fengal to a well-marked low-pressure area. Its remnants are expected to re-emerge over the Arabian Sea, potentially causing more rainfall in Kerala and Karnataka.