Many areas of Puducherry float as rain continues

Many areas of Puducherry, a former French colony known for its systematic town planning, now present a picture of devastation with close to 400 houses damaged by the rain.

Puducherry has been battered by heavy rain since the beginning of November and officials have assessed that such a quantum of downpour had not been seen in the last 100 years. The total rain that would be normally be received during the three month period of October, November and December under the influence of North East monsoon has been received in one month (November) alone in Puducherry.

Large areas have been inundated in Puducherry and over 400 houses damaged due to torrential rains, forcing evacuation of thousands of people.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Rangasamy announced that the Union Territory Administration would soon disburse as much as Rs 150 crores as relief to rain ravaged farmers, hut-dwellers, house owners and cattle owners in Puducherry, Karaikal and Yanam regions.

The Chief Minister said that he was really pained to see the “unprecedented havoc the rains had caused in Puducherry and Karaikal regions during the last twenty days damaging standing crops, horticultural crops and also to houses and huts besides hitting cattle owners”.