PMO reviews post-flood relief efforts in Tamil Nadu

The Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday held a high-level meeting to take stock of the post-flood situation in Tamil Nadu and deliberated on various measures to support the state.
PMO officials have interacted with Tamil Nadu government functionaries to discuss relief and rehabilitation measures in the state, official sources said.
The deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as well and help from armed forces, including helicopters, in case of need was also discussed, they added. A visit of an inter-ministerial central team to assess the damage was also discussed in the meeting.
Intense rains and heavy inundation, unseen in the recent times, have hit parts of the southern state. Chief Minister M K Stalin had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss relief initiatives.
URGENT ACTION NEEDED FOR TN FLOOD VICTIMS: ANNAMALAI
Accusing the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government of not taking immediate action, Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai said on Sunday that people have been severely affected by the rains and floods in Chennai and South Tamil Nadu.
Heavy rains pounded the state over the last few days, wreaking havoc in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Kanyakumari. As many as 35 deaths have been reported, so far, in the ongoing flooding, with Thoothukudi district accounting for 22 fatalities and Tirunelveli 13.
The state government and the Centre have jointly mobilised a massive rescue and relief operation to help the affected people.
“People have been severely affected by the rains and floods in Chennai and South Tamil Nadu. The DMK government has not taken immediate action,” Annamalai said while addressing a press conference in Coimbatore on Sunday. “The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu does not care about the people of Tamil Nadu,” he claimed.
The BJP leader added that the central government is going to render help to the people of Tamil Nadu very soon.
“Apart from that, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is going to visit Thoothukudi on Tuesday to conduct a direct inspection,” the BJP leader said, adding, “As the Tamil Nadu government is not carrying out the work properly, the central government is going to take responsibility and carry out the work.” Earlier, an MI-17 V5 chopper and ALH-Dhruv copter of the Indian Air Force air-dropped over 11 tons of relief materials in 12 different places in the rain-ravaged Thoothkudi district.
Till now, 59 tons of relief materials have been airdropped in the affected areas, according to the Southern Air Command of the IAF.
On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said the rescue operation in the flood-affected southern districts of the state has been completed and the focus now is on the restoration of basic services there.