INDIA THIS WEEK FRIDAY DECEMBER 8, 2023 1 A W e e k l y N e w s p a p e r Fe a t u r i n g N e w s & Tr e n d s f r o m t h e I n d i a n S u b - C o n t i n e n t P u b l i s h e d f r o m t h e U S C a p i t a l Website: www.indiathisweek.online Vol 32 No: 48 WASHINGTON DC • Phone: 301-445-0200 /301-445-3543/301-917-4800 • email: indiathisweekads@gmail.com • Friday December 8, 2023 Congress decimated in Hindi Heartland, Telangana lone spark of joy for party Rajasthan as the state stays true to its cyclic voting trend, while in Chhattisgarh the BJP is poised to edge out the Congress in the state. The lone spark of joy for the Congress has come from Telangana where it is poised to form a government on its own. The electoral contest has gone horribly wrong for the Congress in MP where they were pinning their hopes on a return to power. The New Delhi [India], December 3 (ANI): The Congress has firmly lost the mandate in the Hindi Heartland. The party has been wiped out of Madhya Pradesh with the BJP winning its fourth assembly election in the state. Incumbent chief minister Shivraj Chouhan and the BJP decimated the Congress heading towards a clean sweep in the state. As results of the Assembly polls came in, the Congress appeared on the verge of being voted out in ELECTIONS SEE PAGE 6 ENDS JANUARY 2 NX F SPORT RX F SPORT ES F SPORT WE’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER TREE Some gifts never stop giving. Apne liye ek aisa gift dhund nikaliye at the December to Remember Sales Event. Now through January 2. Bow optional. ©2023 Lexus, a Division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Indians travelling to West, Middle East can get 4-day stopover visa, perform Umrah or visit any Saudi city New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): Indians travelling to the West or the Middle East can obtain a stopover visa for four days that will allow them to visit any city in Saudi Arabia or perform Umrah, said Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq bin Fawzan, adding that it is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 to streamline Umrah visits. While addressing a press briefing with Minister of Minority Affairs Smriti Irani and Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan on Tuesday stressed Saudi Arabia’s streamlined Umrah experience reflects the nation’s dedication to facilitating the religious pilgrimage of Muslims worldwide. “Indians travelling to the West or the Middle East can obtain a stopover visa, that is, for 96 hours, and get a visa within the ticket issuance process, which allows them to perform Umrah and visit any city in the Kingdom,” he said. Noting that the Umrah Visa will be valid for 90 days, he said that the visa will allow holders to reside and travel within Saudi Arabia, ensuring an efficient and convenient pilgrimage experience. He further said, “The Kingdom has effectively transformed SAUDI STOPOVER VISA SEE PAGE 4
December 8 2023 INDIA THIS WEEK Friday Over 40 Years Of Experience 5 FAMILY HAIRCUT $ MEN • WOMEN • CHILDREN ROOT TOUCH-UP FOR MEN 20 $ & up SERVICES • BEARD TRIM $500 $ • SHAMPOO 1000 • BLOW DRY $1000 $ 00 • PERM FROM 20 $ 00 • COLOR FROM 20 • HIGHLIGHTS FROM $3500 • SPA PEDICURE FROM $1700 Beauty & Barber Shop 7311 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003 info@csbarbernschool.com Chhattisgarh polls: BJP set to form govt after wins on 54 seats; T.S. Singhdeo loses by 64 votes R a i p u r (Chhattisgarh) [India], December 3 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the Chhattisgarh assembly polls and is set to form the government in the 90member state Assembly, as the party has crossed the majority mark by securing 54 seats. Congress came a distant second with 35 seats, as the counting of votes in the state neared its end. BJP leader and former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh has won from the Rajnandgaon seat by 45,084 votes against Congress‘ Girish Dewangan. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Congress chief and Lok Sabha MP Deepak Baij has lost to BJP‘s Vinayak Goyal by 8,370 votes in Chitrakot. While the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and senior Congress leader T.S. Singhdeo got a very tough fight from Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Rajesh Agarwal and was defeated with a close margin of 94 votes. Ambikapur is part of Chhattisgarh’s Surguja division, which comprises 14 assembly segments. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress swept the region, winning all 14 seats, ostensibly under the leadership of Singh Deo. In the 2013 elections, the Congress and the BJP won 7 seats each. Ahead of the state assembly elections, held in two phases on November 7 and 17. (ANI)
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December 8 2023 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK Revanth Reddy, set to be Telangana CM, thanks Congress leaders, soldiers for unwavering support Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 5 (ANI): Revanth Reddy, who is set to be Telangana Chief Minister, on Tuesday conveyed his heartfelt appreciation to the leaders of the Congress party for their unwavering support and acknowledged the steadfast support of the Congress soldiers who remained resolute and stood by him through every challenge and triumph. “I wholeheartedly express my gratitude to honourable AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Mother of Telangana our beloved Sonia amma, everinspiring leader Rahul Gandhi ji, charismatic Priyanka Gandhi ji, AICC General Secretary (Org) KC Venugopal ji, deputy CM of Karnataka DK Shivakumar and Incharge General SecretaryTelangana Manikrao Thakare ji and last but not the least our Congress soldiers who stood by us through thick and thin,” Revanth Reddy posted on X (Formerly Twitter). Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal made the announcement here and said that Revanth Reddy will be the new leader of the Congress Legislative Party in the state. He said the swearingin ceremony of the new government will take place on December 7. Venugopal said the decision was taken by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge following a report given by AICC in-charge of the state Manikrao Thakare and the party’s special observer after a meeting of newly- elected MLAs. “Congress President has decided to go with Revanth Reddy as the new CLP of the Telangana Legislative Party. The swearing-in ceremony of the new Telangana CM is to be held on December 7.” TPCC Vice President Kiran Kumar Chamala said, “It was the wish of the people, Congress leaders and the party workers that Revanth Reddy should be the CM because he played an important role in creating a Congress wave in last two years... It is a matter of happiness that he is going to be the CM... Telangana is happy..” Revanth Reddy, seen as a strong critic of outgoing Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was a face of the Congress poll effort in the state and ran a spirited campaign. Reddy is an MP in the Lok Sabha from INC representing Malkajgiri Constituency. Earlier, he won the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections in 2014 from the Kodangal seat with a vote share of 46.45 percent. In the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, he again won the same seat with a vote share of 39.06 percent before losing the seat in the 2019 Telangana Assembly elections. He left TDP and joined Congress in 2017. In June 2021, he was appointed as president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee replacing N. Uttam Kumar Reddy. Congress won an absolute majority in Telangana for the first time, winning 64 of 119 seats. Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which ruled India’s youngest state for 10 years, won 38 seats. BJP won eight seats and AIMIM got seven. Revanth Reddy is MP from Malkajgiri in the state. Telangana went to vote on November 30. In 2018, BRS (then Telangana Rashtra Samithi) won 88 of the 119 seats and had a 47.4 per cent vote share. The Congress came a distant second with 19 seats. (ANI) facilitate the arrival of more Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the two Holy Mosques.” M o r e o v e r, he stressed that the collaborative efforts between India and Saudi Arabia have significantly increased the number of Umrah pilgrims from India, surpassing 1.2 million in 2023. “That is a 74 per cent increase in comparison with 2022. We are committed to initiating discussions to enhance the range of direct flights options between our two nations to accommodate an increasing number of Indians looking to perform Umrah,” he added. Moreover, they are also focusing on enhancing capacity to meet the anticipated increase by introducing new scheduled flights through Saudi low-cost airlines. “These efforts are complemented by initiatives to streamline visa issuance procedures and establish three new Tasheer, or visa centres in India, accommodating the increasing number of individuals seeking to perform Umrah and visit the holy sites,” he emphasised. Furthermore, Al-Rabiah said that they will launch an exhibition in Mumbai tomorrow, “an opportunity for collaboration between Umrah and tourism companies from Saudi Arabia and India”. Additionally, it will also be a chance to take advantage of opportunities and introduce initiatives that enhance the Umrah journey. Meanwhile, at the press briefing, Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan emphasised that Tawfiq bin Fawzan AlRabiah‘s visit will bolster the bilateral partnership between the two countries. “Importantly, the visit will be useful in charting the course for Hajj 2024 in an efficient and smoother way,” he added, noting that the Hajj pilgrimage is an important aspect of the bilateral relationship between India and Saudi Arabia. The continuous success of the Hajj pilgrimage undertaken by Indian citizens is a testament to the strong commitment made by both countries, he said. “I take this opportunity to place our sincere appreciation to the leadership and authorities concerned in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the successful Hajj arrangements earlier this year for Indian pilgrims,” Muraleedharan said. India and Saudi Arabia enjoy a close and friendly relationship and people-to-people ties form an important component in this important bilateral space. “The relations have reached new heights under the visionary leadership of our Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” MoS Muraleedharan emphasised. Moreover, he stated that there is a mutual recognition that our partner will not only be beneficial to our countries and communities strengthened by our vibrant 2.4 million diaspora but will be valuable to the region and the world. “I reiterate the Ministry of External Affairs’ firm commitment to this process, and we look forward to working closely to make the pilgrimage a grand success once again,” he added. (ANI) Indians travelling to West, Middle East can get 4-day stopover visa, perform Umrah or visit any Saudi city SAUDI STOPOVER VISA FROM PAGE 1 Umrah into a rewarding religious expedition by utilizing technological advancements, enhanced measures and upgraded infrastructure as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 to streamline Umrah visits.” Moreover, AlRabiah highlighted that individuals looking to perform Umrah can now obtain a Kingdom entry visa within 48 hours. “... Individuals looking to perform Umrah can now obtain a Kingdom entry visa within 48 hours. Additionally, Indian travellers can perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia using their work, tourism or Umrah visas,” he added. The scheme seeks to streamline the visa acquisition process and enhance the overall accessibility for Umrah pilgrims. While highlighting the meetings he held in India, AlRabiah said, “During our meetings, we explored various opportunities that we aim to capitalize on and challenges that we are dedicated to overcoming to
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December 8 2023 Friday Congress decimated in Hindi Heartland, Telangana lone spark of joy for party ELECTIONS FROM PAGE 1 Congress, which gave absolute control to the old guard of 78-year-old Kamal Nath and 76-yearold Digvijaya Singh had no answer for the BJP’s social engineering and social scheme formula. Led from the front by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP had put all its might into the MP elections pushing central ministers and Lok Sabha MPs into the political arena. The Congress pushed its campaign around its 11 guarantees, which included a host of freebies, but the voter found nothing substantive in this with the BJP already giving the people the benefit of several social schemes especially the ‘Ladli Behna’ scheme that saw massive support amongst the women voters. The Congress which had one just one Lok Sabha seat in MP and just two in Chhattisgarh will now realise that it no longer holds any aces in the Hindi Heartland and is now a party relegated to the South of the Vindhyas. The loss of the three states in the heartland will greatly worry the Congress, it means there are no takers here for the Congress‘ electoral volley ‘Caste Census’. The Congress‘ lead by Rahul Gandhi discovered merit in the caste census after the Bihar government, of which the Congress is a part, conducted an exercise to determine the caste composition of the state. The Congress promised a similar exercise in all these states where it was seeking power but now it appears there are no takers for this. The Congress, which won the election in Himachal Pradesh on the back of its promise to revive the Old Pension scheme and an election in Karnataka on the basis of a bunch of electoral sops, also sold these sops as part of its election campaign in the Hindi Heartland. However, that strategy backfired as the BJP first reinforced its free ration scheme for another five years and played on its successful social schemes in Madhya Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi‘s attack on From The Poet’s Pen INDIA THIS WEEK- December 8, 2023 Thankful For Many Things – Julie Hebert I am thankful for my family, My friends I feel the same. Life is filled with many thanks, Life is the perfect game. Life is filled with treasures, If you’re a lucky one. Be grateful and be humble, And share them with someone. But one thing we must remember, We are not the one to thank. There is a higher power here, That we must give first rank. I am thankful for my life, And all that it holds. I’m excited to see what’s next for me, Let’s see how it unfolds. INDIA THIS WEEK Madhya PradeshCM Shivraj Chouhan credits double engine government for BJP’s big win Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], December 3 (ANI): After the landslide victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “Even if we lose our lives, we will not let the thread of development be broken; we will make the state developed through the roadmap.” He further said that the double-engine thePrime Minister claiming that he had abandoned the OBCs’ also backfired. The Prime Minister, himself an OBC and Shivraj Chouhan negated that harping on Congress‘ corruption tainted record. With just months to go before PM Narendra Modi seeks a historic third term from the people, the Congress has had to fall back on its allies. Already Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has dialled the leaders of the INDIA block to meet next week. The fight is now well and truly on for 2024, but it seems the Congress will need to punch far above its weight to have any hope of displacing the BJP. (ANI) government has done a miracle in the state. “I want to thank the people of the state for this unexceptional victory in the Assembly elections. This is the victory of the efforts of PM Modi and the developmental works done by the double-engine government. Our party workers have worked day and night for the victory of the BJP. Under the leadership of PM Modi, the double-engine government has done a miracle. I want to thank PM Modi, Amit Shah and our party president, JP Nadda, for guiding us throughout the election campaign,” said Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after crossing the majority mark. “This is the victory of the work we did for the welfare of every class, farmers’ welfare, the welfare of Bhanja-Bhanjis, and the welfare of mothers and sisters, the main one being Ladli Brahmin Yojana, is their victory,” CM Chouhan said. “Gratitude to strategist Amit Shah. INDIA THIS WEEK Address: P.O. Box 352, Bryans Road, MD 20616 Phone: 301-445-0200; 301-917-4800 www.indiathisweek.online India This Week is published every Friday by ADV Solutions Inc, Views expressed in this paper are those of the individual writers and not necessarily of India This Week. India This Week accepts no liability for the errors in advertisements or in any of its reports. For remedial actions any errors should be brought to the attention of the editor by the information provided below. Publisher: Chief Editor: Contributing Editors: Dr. Babu Stephen Rajan George Saju Mathew Isaac George Asst. Editors: Manu Jacob Sherena Panjikkaran Special Business Correspondent Elisha B. Pulivarti Business Coordinators Rajan C. George Jithu Johny Panjikkaran Dr. Renuka Misra, Special Correspondent: Geeta Goindi Community Coordinator: Prof. Vinod Goel India Office Manesh Krishna Columnists: Anadi Naik World Religions Dr. Sam Prasad Jillella Photo Journalist: Mathew Karmel, System Admn. & Maintenance: Rajan C. George Layout & Graphics: Prinston Samuel, Business Affairs: Mrs. Molly George CALL US • 301-445-0200 • 301-917-4800 e-Mails: Advertisements: indiathisweekads@gmail.com Press Releases: indiathisweekpress@yahoo.com Web: www.indiathisweek.online Under the guidance of National President JP Nadda, election in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and Shiv Prakash ji, loving support of Ashwani Vaishnav and the leadership of State President VD Sharma, we all fought the elections together,” Chouhan added. Speaking on the election campaign, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “If you serve the public with a true heart, it has an impact. The entire family of Madhya Pradesh, its brothers and sisters, treated us as their own and loved us. I am grateful to my goddess-like sisters. During the election campaign, sisters used to give blessings and get emotional. Our sisters have won. This is the victory of the love that was received from the nephews and nieces. Even if we lose our lives, we will not let this thread of development be broken. By following the road map for the development of the state, we will develop the state and fulfil the resolve of a developed Madhya Pradesh. This guarantee is from Modi ji and will be fulfilled under any circumstances. Humbly salute to everyone; if we live for you, we will die for you.” As per the latest data from the Election Commission, the BJP has comfortably won 141 seats, while the Congress has managed to secure 46 seats so far. Meanwhile, the BJP is ahead on 24 seats, while the grand old party is leading on 18 seats, according to the ECI. Meanwhile, incumbent Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Budhni, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, won by a margin of 1,64,951 votes, garnering a total of 1,04,974 votes. Chouhan was contesting against Congress leader Vikram Mastal Sharma, who managed to secure only 59,977 votes. Budhni is one of the Assembly seats of Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district. It is a part of the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency. The Budhni Assembly constituency is a general seat, i.e. it is not reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) or Scheduled Tribes (STs). The voting took place on November 17, 2023, in Budhni. Aazad Samaj Party’s (Kanshi Ram) Dinesh Azad was also contesting from the same seat and secured 3rd position in the tally. Chouhan relied heavily on schemes for women like the ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ under which Rs 1250 is transferred monthly to eligible women from poor families in the state. While Congress described it as an election sop, implemented months before the assembly polls, the BJP leaders have said that it is in line with the party’s work for empowering women. (ANI Remember: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ” JESUS CHRIST
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December 8 2023 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK Rajasthan polls: BJP set to form govt after registering wins on 115 seats; Rajendra Rathore loses from Taranagar Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], December 3 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the Rajasthan assembly polls and is set to form the government in the 200member state Assembly, as the party has crossed the majority mark by securing 115 seats. Congress came a distant second with 68 seats and is leading on one seat, as per the latest trends. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has won from the Jhalrapatan constituency by a margin of 53,193 votes, garnering a total of 1,38,831 votes. She defeated Congress candidate Ramlal who got 85,638 votes. BJP leader and Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore registered victory in the Jhotwara constituency in the Rajasthan Assembly polls. Rajyavardhan Rathore managed to garner 1,47,913 votes. He defeated the Congress candidate, Abhishek Choudhary, by a margin of 50,167 votes. Kirodi Lal Meena won from Sawai Madhopur Assembly defeating Congress candidate Danish Abrar by 22,510 votes. Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly and BJP leader Rajendra Rathore lost from Taranagar. He was defeated by Congress candidate Narendra Budania by a margin of 10,345 votes. After emerging victorious, BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh said, “Under the leadership of PM Modi, we fought this Rajasthan election and the people of Rajasthan supported us. We congratulate all the party workers who worked for the last 5 years and we express our gratitude to the people of Rajasthan.” He further informed that the Parliamentary Board will decide the Chief Minister candidate. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Assembly Speaker and senior Congress leader CP Joshi suffered defeat at the hands of BJP candidate Vishwaraj Singh Mewar by a margin of 7,504 votes in Nathdwara. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot registered victory from the Sardarpura seat with a margin of 26,396 votes over rival BJP candidate Mahendra Rathore. Congress leader Sachin Pilot defeated the BJP candidate Ajit Singh Mehta by a margin of 29,475 votes. Sachin Pilot got 1,05,812 votes, whereas the rival candidate was able to garner 76,337 votes. Rajasthan went to the polls for 199 of the 200 assembly seats on November 25. The majority mark in the state is 100. In the Karanpur constituency, elections were adjourned due to the passing away of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar. (ANI) constraints we are facing, this is our commitment to the people and we are going to honour it. This is our first priority; we are friends of farmers and we have to give them that top priority,” Lalduhoma said. Talking about financial reform in the state, Lalduhoma said that there will be consolidation in finance; financial reform is very necessary, and for that, they are going to make a resource mobilization team comprising the expert members and they will look after the austerity measures, investment measures, manpower assessment and all that. “After that, our main priority will be anticorruption measures and for that, we are going to give general consent to the CBI as soon as possible. The law will take its own course. I am not in favour of witch hunting. We will start from now with the new government to defy corruption,” Lalduhoma said. He further said that, after swearing in, the new government will announce its top priority projects for the next 100 days. “ P r o b a b l y tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I will meet the Governor. We will have a meeting with our elder councils and we are going to form a ministry with them. A swearing-in ceremony will be held within this month. I can’t fix the date right now,” Lalduhoma said. The ZPM, which was formed six years ago through a merger of six smaller outfits, swept the assembly polls in Mizoram on Monday, ending decades of rule by the MNF and the Congress in the northeastern state. From being in charge of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s security to leading the ZPM to a historic win, Lalduhoma‘s journey has been all about battling against the odds. His journey as an IPS officer started in 1977. Interestingly, he served as a squad leader in Goa to crush delinquent hippies and smugglers. His achievements were recognised by the national media. Lalduhoma quit his job to join Congress and was elected from Mizoram’s lone Lok Sabha seat in 1984. Following his service, Lalduhoma founded the ZPM, a political party that has now become a key player in Mizoram’s political landscape. Earlier in 1984, Lalduhoma started his political career but faced a political trajectory when he became the first Member of Parliament to be disqualified under the anti-defection law. The committee demanded the state ministry resign from the legislature by organising public protests in early June and then a mass hunger strike on June 23. He formed the Mizo National Union (MNU) in 1986, which later merged with the Mizoram People’s Conference and was made working president. Earlier in 2020, Lalduhoma faced disqualification as a member of the Legislative Assembly for violating the anti-defection law. However, he made a triumphant comeback by winning the by-election for the Serchhip seat in 2021. In the last assembly elections, Lalduhoma emerged as the chief ministerial candidate for the ZPM-led coalition. (ANI) Lalduhoma’s ZPM ends MNF rule; ex-IPS officerturned-politician all set to become Mizoram’s new CM By Hemanta Kumar Nath S e r c h h i p (Mizoram) [India], December 4 (ANI): After registering a landslide victory by winning 27 out of 40 assembly constituencies in Mizoram, the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) is now going to form the next government in the north-eastern state and Lalduhoma, the ZPM chief, is all set to become Mizoram’s next Chief Minister. While the incumbent CM’s party, the Mizo National Front (MNF) won 10 seats, the BJP won two seats and Congress won one. Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) Chief Ministerial candidate Lalduhoma, who won the Serchhip seat, told ANI that “after swearing in, we will announce our top priority projects for the next 100 days.” “Mizoram is facing a financial crisis and the financial condition is very bad. We are going to inherit from the outgoing government. In spite of this, we are going to honour our commitment. That is buying of four selected items – ginger, turmeric, chilli and broom stick. These four items have been identified. We declared the minimum price and we are going to start now. Right now, we are going to go through the process of buying these four items. In spite of all the
FRIDAY DECEMBER 8, 2023 9 ‘ State has received historic rainfall but damage less than previous times” says Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on effect of Cylone Michaung Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 5 (ANI): Amid destructions caused by Severe Cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ in the state, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Tuesday said that the rains received during Cyclone period have exceeded what the state has received in 2015. Addressing the press conference, MK Stalin said “Even after receiving historical rains, the damages are less compared to the previous times. The rains received during Cyclone Michaung exceeded what we received in 2015 when the floods were artificial due to the release of water from Sembarambakkam Lake but now it is a natural flood.” “Chennai has escaped only because of the desilting works that we did in 4000 crores. In 2015, there were 199 deaths reported but now even with excessive rains the death toll is only 8 but still, it could have been averted,” Stalin added. The Chief Minister also called on organisations involved in Relief Work to join hands with the government to alleviate the suffering of fellow human beings. “Relief assistance of Rs 5,000 crore will be requested from the central government for storm and rain damage. Relief assistance will also be provided to the people who have suffered” CM MK Stalin said. Meanwhile, 8 people have lost their lives while multiple roads and subways are closed due to waterlogging in the wake of the Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Michaung’, which is expected to make landfall on the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh between Nellore and Machilipatnam today. Traffic has been closed on Manjambakkam to Vadaperumbakkam Road due to the release of water from the Puzhal Lake,” police said on Tuesday. The police also added that many families including pregnant women, children, and senior citizens were rescued from different areas who were stuck due to wreaking the havoc of Cyclone Michaung. Chennai Airport has resumed operations after being temporarily shut down due to heavy rains that caused flooding and waterlogging on the runways, said an airport official. Air Traffic Management (ATM) will prioritize departures to clear the backlog of stranded passengers at the airport. There are currently 21 aircraft on the ground and around 1500 passengers in the terminals. The F&B Concessionaire has ensured that adequate food is available at all outlets. Earlier, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Tuesday morning inspected the Cyclone affected areas in the state. The Tamil Nadu CM inspected the rain relief camp set up in Kannapar Thital, Chennai. There are 162 relief centres in which 43 are operated accommodating 2477 Chennai residents. There are 20 kitchens operational providing food to these relief centres. The state government has asked the authorities about the availability of ready-made items including rice-dalsvegetables and their quality to arrange food for those staying in the relief camps. 5000 workers from other districts are moved to Chennai for the mitigation works. Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and other top officials are monitoring operations at the Integrated Command &Control Center. For the Chennai corporation the focus is on prioritizing rescue operations, providing food to individuals relocated to relief centers and clearing roads. The bridge in the Nerkundram area is surrounded by water overflowing from the Koovam River. Due to release of water from the Chembarambakkam Lake Madha engineering college near Chembarambakkam was partially submerged. Water reached nearly neck level and people struggled to walk. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in its update at 11:15 am said “Severe Cyclonic Storm “MICHAUNG” over Westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu moved Northwards with a speed of 11 kph during last 6 hours and lay centered at 1030 hours over the same region. about 25 km East South East of Ongole and 100 km NorthNorth East of Nellore and 130 km Southwest of Machilipatnam. (ANI)
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