Schools, colleges closed in Puducherry as Cyclone Fengal wreaks havoc, details here

The Puducherry government has declared a holiday for all schools and colleges owing to the heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Fengal.

A holiday for all government and private schools, as well as colleges, on Tuesday (December 3), has been announced due to heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Fengal, said Puducherry's Education Minister, A Namachivayam.

Puducherry government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges owing to Cyclone Fengal. (PTI image)

Meanwhile, the Puducherry government has announced to provide relief assistance of ₹5,000 each to all ration cardholders affected by Cyclone Fengal, Chief Minister N Rangaswamy said on Monday.

"Due to cyclone Fengal, Puducherry received 48% rainfall, which was unexpected. The Puducherry government has decided to provide relief assistance of ₹5,000 to all ration cardholders affected by the cyclone," Rangaswamy told reporters.

"Additionally, due to heavy rainfall, 10,000 hectares of crops in the Puducherry state have been damaged. Therefore, we have decided to provide ₹30,000 per hectare to affected farmers. Cyclone Fengal has left a trail of destruction in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. The recent floods have damaged 50 boats, and the government has announced a relief package of ₹10,000 for their repair," he added.

The cyclone resulted in extremely heavy rainfall in coastal regions of north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Particularly affected was the Sankaraparani River in Puducherry, where over 200 residences in NR Nagar were inundated. The people living in the area remain stranded as the Indian Army along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are actively involved in rescue operations.

The Union Territory witnessed severe flooding, especially in areas surrounding the Sankaraparani River in Puducherry, where over 200 residences in NR Nagar were inundated. The people living in the area remain stranded as the Indian Army along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are actively involved in rescue operations.

The rescue teams are focused on saving lives, with boats deployed to navigate flooded streets and evacuate affected residents.