Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released ₹1,000 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund to Tamil Nadu for flood relief after undertaking an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in and around Chennai.

This is over and above the ₹940 crore that was released on November 23.

He also agreed to deploy 10 additional army columns and 20 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and instructed his officials to ensure that the personnel are deployed immediately, says a release from the State government.

Chennai has been marooned in the last few days, with 101.8 cm of rainfall in November, the second highest rainfall recorded since 1918. Rains continued to lash the city in the first two days of December and more rainfall has been forecast.

“I have seen the damage and misery caused by the extremely heavy rainfall. The Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu in this hour of need. We are all pained by the devastation in TN,” said a tweet from Modi.

After the survey, Modi met Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and Governor K Rosaiah in Chennai before leaving for Delhi.

Modi arrived at INS Rajali in Arakkonam from where he took a helicopter and landed at INS Adyar in the city at 4.30 pm. During her meeting with Modi at INS Adyar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Chennai and the suburbs in the morning, apprised him of the unprecedented magnitude of the calamity that struck Chennai, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and Cuddalore.

So far in the four districts of Chennai, Cuddalore, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram around 3.25 lakh persons have been rescued and evacuated; 300 boats have been mobilised; 4,327 relief centres have been opened; 9.39 lakh persons have been accommodated in the relief centres and 44 lakh food packets have been distributed.

Jayalalithaa said that that the massive devastation that has been caused by floods clearly justifies it being declared a national disaster and requested at least ₹5,000 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund immediately.

New Delhi Bureau reports: Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma has said that seven flights each will operate on Friday and Saturday from Naval base Rajali at Arakkonam, about 40 km from Chennai. The fare has been set at ₹1000 per ticket for travel in the South and ₹2,000 per ticket for those travelling North.

No check-in baggage will be allowed. Two flights each will be operated by SpiceJet, Air India and IndiGo and one by TruJet.

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