Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and submitted a memorandum seeking Rs 2,000 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund as interim relief.
"While a comprehensive assessment of the permanent damage will take time, we request an interim assistance of Rs 2,000 crore from the NDRF (National Disaster Relief Fund) to bolster the ongoing efforts for livelihood support and repairs and restoration of the public infrastructure battered by the unprecedented floods," he said in the memorandum.
The DMK leader, who met the Prime Minister, added that the amount will help provide livelihood support for the flood-hit population and repair of public infrastructure damaged in the downpour in the four southern districts.
"This interim relief will help provide livelihood assistance to the affected people and take up temporary rehabilitation works in the Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari and the Tenkasi districts," Stalin said in a memorandum submitted to Modi in Delhi.
"Around 40 lakh people in the Tirunelveli and the Thoothukudi districts were badly affected by the cyclone. Srivaikuntam and Thoothukudi towns faced a serious situation due to flooding of the Thamirabarani river," he said.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the rains touched 10 on Tuesday as heavy rain continued to batter the southern districts. Tamil Nadu chief secretary Shiv Das Meena had indicated that the tate was not sufficiently forewarned of the impact. Meena said the forecast of heavy rainfall by the India Meteorological Department was 'wrong' as extremely heavy rainfall was received in the affected districts within a short period of two days.
"Ten people have died in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts due to the rainfall. While some lost their lives due to wall collapse, some died due to electrocution," he told reporters at the Secretariat.
"The IMD had predicted isolated to heavy, very heavy to extreme rainfall may occur in one or two places. This is what the forecast said. But Kayalpattinam (a municipality in Tuticorin district) received 115 cm rainfall in two days." He said southern districts particularly Tirunelveli and Tuticorin witnessed record rainfall and flooding that was unprecedented and historic.
Meanwhile, an inter-ministerial central team is likely to visit Tamil Nadu on Wednesday to assess the damage caused by the flooding. Though Chief Minister M K Stalin was supposed to inspect the flood-hit regions on Wednesday, the visit has been postponed.
An official release issued on Tuesday night said that since the local administrations were expected to be present in the affected districts owing to the central team's visit on Wednesday, the Chief Minister would arrive only on Thursday.
The central and state government agencies, including Army, Navy, AirForce, National Disaster Response Force and SDRF are currently engaged in relief and rehabilitation works. Nine helicopters along with 323 boats were also involved in the rescue operation.
(With PTI inputs)