Chennai floods and the Tsunami before that remind us that in our pursuit of progress, we must not overlook the enduring lessons preserved by those who have harmonised with nature for millennia
South Asia's largest small-scale industrial hub lost Rs 2,000 crore during the Chennai flood
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As rescue boats retreat from the flooded streets and crocodiles return to their habitat, a pressing question remains: What about our focus on urban planning?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Michaung, and noted that authorities have been working tirelessly on the ground to assist those affected. Severe cyclonic storm Michaung made landfall crossing south Andhra Pradesh coast between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm on Tuesday leaving its maximum fury to be felt on Monday in Chennai and adjoining areas in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Southern districts of Odisha and eastern Telangana continue to be on alert. In a post on X, Modi said, "My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Michaung, especially in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry. My prayers are with those injured or affected in the wake of this cyclone." "Authorities have been working tirelessly on the ground to assist those affected and will continue their work till the situation fully normalises," Modi said. At least 12 people lost their li
The Greater Chennai police, through a release issued on December 5, Tuesday, stated that 17 people have been reported dead in various incidents due to floods in the city
An interim Central assistance of Rs 5,000 crore has been sought by the Tamil Nadu government to provide relief to people and rebuild infrastructure damaged by incessant rains in Chennai and some other districts of the state. Raising the issue through a zero-hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Tiruchi Siva, a leader of the DMK which rules the state, said heavy rains due to severe Cyclone Michaung have submerged Chennai and other districts. At least nine people, including a child, were killed in the flooding and the havoc caused hours before the cyclone was due to make landfall. Cars were swept and airport operations shut down as the streets of Chennai got inundated. "Roads have become rivers because of non-stop running waters and rivers have become like seas... all the water bodies are overflowing. Many tanks have been breached," he said. Informing the Rajya Sabha that roads have been badly damaged due to the fury of nature, Siva said essential supplies have been hampered. Tamil Nadu
Fields in several parts of Machilipatnam in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh were submerged due to rainfall and waterlogging as an impact of Severe Cyclonic Storm Michaung
- North coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are expected to experience light to moderate rainfall in most places and isolated heavy rainfall on Tuesday morning, decreasing thereafter, according to the latest IMD bulletin. The forecast of reduced rainfall intensity comes as a relief after Cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc across Chennai and adjoining districts, causing flooding and disrupting normal life on Monday. Residents in some parts of Chennai reported no rain since early hours on Tuesday and mentioned that power services had been restored in those areas. However, train services to and from the city remain suspended. The latest bulletin from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) states that coastal Andhra Pradesh will also continue to receive light to moderate rainfall at most places. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at a few places with extremely heavy falls at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on Tuesday. Additionally, exceptionally heavy rainfall
The compensation included rupees three lakh each as the first installment to 377 families whose houses were completely damaged due to the monsoon-led disaster
According to the officials, in rain-related incidents in this year's monsoon so far, 400 people have lost their lives and over 13,000 houses have been damaged
The Sikkim government has said that all popular destinations in the Himalayan state are open for tourists, except for extreme parts of North Sikkim. Sikkim government's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Additional Secretary, Bandana Chettri said that all the regions of the state under different districts, namely Gangtok, Namchi, Soreng, Pakyong and Gyalshing are safe to visit and the weather conditions in these areas are very soothing in this festive season. "Except for the extreme Northern part of Sikkim which is not accessible, all other destinations of the state are open for tourists and there is no untoward situation as the impact of flood in Teesta has since normalised," said an advisory on Monday. She urged tourists to visit the Himalayan state, which is known for its pristine natural beauty. The Himalayan state was hit by a flash flood in the Teesta river, triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of October 4 in which 40 people were killed. Over a million tourists
Floods caused by torrential rainfall have killed at least 31 people in various parts of Somalia, authorities have said. Since October, floods have displaced nearly half a million people and disrupted the lives of over 1.2 million people, Minister of Information Daud Aweis told reporters in the capital Mogadishu on Sunday. They have also caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure notably in the Gedo region of southern Somalia, he said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, which has given USD 25 million to help mitigate the impact of flooding, warned in a statement Thursday of a flood event of a magnitude statistically likely only once in 100 years, with significant anticipated humanitarian impacts. While all possible preparatory measures are being pursued, a flood of this magnitude can only be mitigated and not prevented, OCHA said, recommending early warning and early action" to save lives as "large-scale displacement, increased humanitarian
Foreign embassies and research groups gather weather data in China, activity that becomes more important as the nation deals with bouts of extreme weather such as flooding in the Beijing area
Areas of North Sikkim ahead of Mangan have remained cut off since October 4. As an immediate response, foot bridges and zip lines were constructed at Chungthang and Sanklang-Mangan Crossing
The Chief Minister assessed the extent of destruction caused by the washing away of the Teesta Stage III dam and the flood at the Teesta basin, said officials
Hundreds of people were being evacuated from their homes and schools closed in parts of Scotland on Thursday, as much of northern Europe braced for stormy weather, heavy rain and gale-force winds from the east. The UK's weather forecaster, the Met Office, issued a rare red alert the highest level of weather warning for parts of Scotland, predicting exceptional rainfall Thursday and Friday that is expected to cause extensive flooding and danger to life from fast-flowing or deep floodwater. The last red alert in the UK was issued in 2020. Forecasters say the storm, named Babet by UK officials, could bring more than a month's worth of rain in the worst-affected regions in Scotland. Babet already brought floods and swollen rivers that swamped several towns and villages in Ireland, with some areas remaining under water and without power Thursday. Soldiers helped with evacuation measures in the town of Midleton in County Cork, where more than 100 properties were flooded. Cork County ..
The Inter-Ministerial Central Team led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Anant Kishore Saran on Wednesday left for the national capital after completing the assessment of the extent of damage caused by flash floods in Sikkim, an official said. The central team members were seen off at the airport by the Relief Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Anil Raj Rai, and senior officers of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA). During their three-day visit, the central team was briefed by Chief Secretary V B Pathak about large-scale damage to road infrastructure, telecommunication network, displacement of people and fatalities due to flash floods in Teesta river basin areas in four districts following a cloudburst on Lhonak lake in North Sikkim on October 4. The Central team had visited the disaster-affected areas in East and North Sikkim for a first-hand information of the extent of damage inflicted by flash floods. On
The Inter-Ministerial Central Team led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Anant Kishore Saran on Tuesday left for North Sikkim by helicopter to assess the damage caused by the flash floods in the area, an official said. The central team members - Director, Ministry of Power, RK Meena, executive engineer Ministry of Jal Shakti Sashwat Rai and director SSDMA, Prabhakar Rai - flew by helicopter from Burtuk airport for North Sikkim, he said. Mangan district in north Sikkim is the worst flood-affected district with over 30,000 people affected by the flash flood. Members of the central team on Monday visited the affected areas in Gangtok, Pakyong district. Among the areas they visited were IBM, Rangpo, ATTC-Bardang, Golitar, Singtam, Dikchu and Phidang where they assessed the damage caused to buildings, power lines, roads and bridges. The central team visited a relief camp on Monday in Majigaon and made certain recommendations for the maintenance of proper sanitation at rescue
Flooding triggered by heavy monsoon rains in Myanmar's southern areas has displaced more than 14,000 people and disrupted traffic on the rail lines that connect the country's biggest cities, officials and state-run media said Monday. State television MRTV reported Monday evening that the number of displaced people in Bago township, about 68 km (42 miles) northeast of Yangon, the country's biggest city, had climbed to that figure, and they were taking shelter in 36 relief camps. It said almost 1,000 more people in Mon state's township, just east of Bago, were sheltering in three relief camps, and there some evacuations in a northern part of Yangon. A senior official at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Lay Shwe Zin Oo, said that constant rainfall in the Bago region that began last week caused the flooding in the low-lying areas of its capital, Bago township. She said there were no casualties reported so far. Bago township recorded 7.87 inches (200 millimetres)