Cyclone Fengal remains stationary near Puducherry, says IMD

Pic/AFP

Cyclone Fengal, which made landfall near Puducherry on November 30, remained stationary near the union territory and would gradually weaken in the next three hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.

Meanwhile, operations at the Chennai airport, which had been suspended on Sunday, resumed past midnight but many flights suffered cancellations and delays, officials said.

Under the impact of the cyclone, Puducherry recorded its highest rainfall of 46 cm, IMD-Regional Meteorological Centre, Additional Director General, S Balachandran, said in an update at 7.30 am on Sunday, reported PTI.

He said Cyclone Fengal started making landfall near Puducherry around 5.30 pm on Saturday and completed the process "between 10.30 pm and 11.30 pm," reported PTI.

It now lay close to Puducherry.

"It is likely to move westwards slowly and weaken gradually into a deep depression over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (Puducherry)," he said, reported PTI.

While Mailam in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district recorded 50 cm rainfall during the period 8.30 am November 30 and 5.30 am Sunday, Puducherry recorded 46 cm.

This was the highest rainfall received by Puducherry. The UT had received 21 cm rainfall on October 31, 2004, he said.

Operations at the Chennai airport resumed past midnight on Saturday but there were cancellations and delays. As many as 24 domestic services were cancelled and 26 international flights, both arriving and departing were delayed, officials said.

Indian Army rescues over a 100 people in Puducherry

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.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)