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Mari Selvaraj on flood situation in Thoothukudi: ‘It is a challenge to rescue people as villages are cut off’

While many have appreciated Mari Selvaraj for helping people stuck in floods, the filmmaker is also facing backlash from some who have questioned why he is briefing the media about issues.

By: Entertainment Desk
Chennai | December 19, 2023 03:20 PM IST

2 min read

Mari Selavarj talks about the flood situation in Thoothukudi:

Filmmaker Mari Selvaraj has reached Thoothukudi to help people stuck in the floods that have affected the district. The Pariyerum Perumal director, who was born and brought up in Tirunelveli, spoke to reporters about the ground reality.

Mari said, “No one expected such a devastating disaster here. This place is dependent on rivers. The problem with saving people is that the villages are cut off from each other. People have found refuge on top of trees and houses. So it has become hard to go in and rescue all of them. There are villages which are totally cut off where even boats can’t go in. About 12 villages are like that. They were completely cut off for the past two days. They haven’t had access to food and communication. We rarely get a message from those areas. We are working based on that. We have spoken to MP Kanimozhi and asked for helicopters to access those places. Helicopters are the only way with which these places can be reached.”

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While many have appreciated Mari Selvaraj for helping people, the filmmaker is also facing backlash from some who have questioned why he is briefing the media about issues.

Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and many such coastal districts in Tamil Nadu have received record rainfall due to the northeast monsoon. Tamil Nadu is yet to recover from the devastation caused by the Chennai floods, and within a few days, the state is grappling with yet another natural disaster.

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