VOLUNTEERS waded through knee-deep water in Mudichur and distributed food packets and water bottles, even as several parts of Chennai continued to struggle with scanty supplies of milk and curd for the third day on Thursday following floods triggered by cyclone Michaung. Dedicated volunteers walked through thigh-high water in the residential areas of Pattalam, Pattinapakkam, and Varadarajapuram in Kancheepuram, and distributed food and rescued the marooned through boats. “We were the first to reach Mudichur on December 4 night when the cyclone Michaung’s ferocity inundated the city and suburbs. Our rescue boat hit six electric posts in pitch darkness. Later we navigated to the houses of five marooned families and rescued them,” Lt Col N Thiagarajan said. It was altogether a different story at another flooded house in Perambur. The Indian Army veteran said he got a SOS to rescue a pregnant woman nearing her due date. “We brought her safely by a boat and she was later taken to a hospital, he told PTI. After leading the Army rescue team during the December 2015 floods in Chennai, Lt Colonel Thiagarajan made up his mind to dedicate his life to saving people during distress.

 

Post-retirement in 2017 he founded the Mastermind Foundation and plunged into voluntary service. For the 2023 Chennai floods, he organised six rescue teams with boats and fishermen and rescued about 200 employees of an IT firm, scores of students stranded in hostels besides hundreds of families desperate to reach safe places as the water level rose sharply in their areas. Several groceries in the metro ran out of milk, curd, bread, and milk powder and some of them displayed “no milk, curd” boards. “These were purchased to be distributed to the flood-affected people and we are yet to get replenishments from the company representatives,” a store manager in Adambakkam said. Rajnath undertakes aerial survey: DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday undertook an aerial survey of flood hit northern Tamil Nadu and held discussions with Chief Minister M K Stalin over the extent of damage due to the cyclone Michaung. After he surveyed Chennai and nearby areas hit by torrential rains and flood, the Union Minister called on Stalin at the Secretariat here and he was briefed on the cyclone, the damage caused and the relief needed from the Centre.

 

The CM submitted a memorandum to Singh seeking interim relief, the Government said. Michaung has weakened into low-pressure area in Jharkhand: IMD: THE cyclonic circulation Michaung that ravaged the States of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the last few days has now weakened and converted into a low-pressure area in Jharkhand. “The cyclonic circulation Michaung has weakened and converted into a low-pressure area in Jharkhand causing light to moderate rainfall across the State in short spells. The situation will remain prevalent till today. The weather will remain cloudy tomorrow onwards,” A E Kujur, a meteorologist from India Meteorological Department Ranchi said. Widespread unseasonal rains across Odisha brought down temperatures in the State.