Puducherry witnesses highest rainfall in 30 years due to Cyclone Fengal; Local train services resume in Chennai

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 1 (ANI): Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Sunday said that Puducherry received 50 centimetres of rainfall overnight that has led to flooding in the city.
Rescue teams are working to evacuate stranded people, he said.
"Puducherry has received 50 cm of rainfall, resulting in severe flooding. I am currently inspecting the flood-affected areas. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to evacuate those stranded in the floodwaters," Chief Minister N Rangasamy told ANI.
Cyclone Fengal brought extremely heavy rainfall to Puducherry, with the Union Territory recording 48.4 centimetres of rain over 24 hours till 8:30 AM on December 1. This marked the highest 24-hour cumulative rainfall in the last 30 years between years 1995 to 2024.
Meanwhile, the Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train services resumed normal operations in all suburban districts from December 1, railway officials said on Sunday. A Elumalai, Public Relations Officer from Chennai Divison, said that the train services in Chennai started their operations.
The EMU train services were severely affected on Saturday due to the heavy rainfall in Chennai, owing to Cyclonic storm Fengal that made landfall in Puducherry and coastal districts of north Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, Indian Army troops from the Chennai Garrison Battalion, operating under the Dakshin Bharat Area, were mobilized in the early hours of Sunday to assist in rescue operations in flood-affected areas of Puducherry.
Requisitioned by the Puducherry District Collector around 1 am, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) column consisting of one officer, six Junior commissioned officers and 62 other ranks was deployed swiftly. The team left Chennai at 2 am and covered a distance of 160 kilometres overnight, reaching Puducherry around 5:30 am.
The team led by Major Ajay Sangwan was briefed about the critical situation in the Krishna Nagar area upon reaching Puducherry. The water level in some localities of Krishna Nagar rose to nearly five feet, leaving residents of nearly 500 houses stranded.
The efforts made by the Indian Army during its rescue operations started at 6:15 am, with over 100 individuals being evacuated in the first two hours.
Cyclone Fengal remains stationary for the last six hours close to the union territory nearly 30 kilometres north of Cuddalore and 40 kms east of Villupuram.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that as of 5:30 in the morning, the cyclone has not moved in the past six hours and remains stationary 120 kilometres south-southwest of Chennai.
It is expected to move westward slowly and likely to weaken into a deep depression over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next six hours, as per IMD.
After Cyclone Fengal made landfall yesterday, the beaches in Chennai witnessed high tides and rough sea conditions this morning. The weather forecast issued by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) predicted "isolated heavy to very heavy" rainfall in Chennai for Sunday.
The official statement added that residents in the affected areas have been advised to remain indoors and follow all instructions from local authorities to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, people living in nearby areas have been shifted to relief camps near Kalpakkam in Chengalpattu district, in the wake of Cyclone Fengal. (ANI)