Tamil Nadu floods: PM speaks to Jaya, assures of all support

CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called up chief minister J Jayalalithaa and expressed concern over the torrential and recurring rains, hitting the coastal districts of the state for the second time within a span of a few days.
Modi later tweeted, “Spoke to Jayalalithaa ji on the flood situation in parts of Tamil Nadu. Assured all possible support & cooperation in this unfortunate hour.”
Expressing gratitude to the PM for immediately deputing the Central team to the state to assess the damage after the first spell of rain and to submit its report, Jayalalithaa said the state machinery was fully geared to meet the challenge of the unprecedented torrential and extremely heavy rains, which was the heaviest recorded in the past more than 100 years, and battered the northern districts of Tamil Nadu, especially, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore.
An official statement from the state government said that Modi assured the CM of all necessary support to the state in the rescue, relief and restoration operations. “The chief minister thanked the PM for his concern and for promising all support to the government,” it said.
The chief minister informed Modi about the deployment of personnel of the state disaster response force, the fire and rescue services and coastal security group in all the affected places, along with revenue, public works, highways, municipal administration, rural development and health department to carry out rescue and relief operations. “She informed the PM that the state requisitioned the services of the Army, Navy and Air Force to assist in the rescue and relief operations.