Puducherry received a historic 48.4cm in the 24 hours ending Sunday, December 1, 8:30 am, making it the highest 24-hour cumulative rainfall in the last 30 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed. The extremely heavy rain brought on by Cyclone Fengal has led to widespread flooding and damages in the union territory. The Indian Army has now been called in to aid with rescue efforts.
Troops from the Garrison Battalion in Chennai where the Dakshin Bharat Area Headquarters is located rescued over a hundred stranded civilians in Puducherry, the Army said in a press release. The Area Headquarters responded to a call for aid from the district collector and a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) column comprising one officer, six junior commissioned officers (JCO) and 62 others was pressed into action immediately. The column, under the command of Major Ajay Sangwan, rescued stranded civilians from approximately 500 houses in the Krishnanagar region of Puducherry where water levels had reached approximately 5 feet in some localities.
According to a statement from the South Command of the Indian Army, troops reached Puducherry at 5.30 am on December 1 and rescue efforts began at 6.15 am. Operations continue to be underway, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) has further said.
Reports say that water has entered many homes. Residents of Puducherry city told news channels that in some localities water has risen to hip-level and that authorities have not deployed pumps yet, and that even essential items are scarce. Visuals coming in from Puducherry show heavily inundated and deserted roads, uprooted trees, shuttered shops, and many residents rescued by boat from flooded homes.
Meanwhile, confusion persists regarding when the cyclone made landfall. According to the IMD, Cyclone Fengal crossed into land near Puducherry on November 30 at approximately 10.30 pm. However, well-known private weather bloggers such as Pradeep John and Chennai Rains said that the cyclone is yet to make landfall much later. Pradeep told TNM that the storm made a crossing only around 10:30 am to 11:00 am on December 1.
The eye of the cyclone is close to Villupuram causing heavy rain spells, the Regional Metrological Department (RMC) has now said. The storm is currently 40 kilometres east of Villupuram, RMC further added.