Having unleashed its fury upon the southern Indian coast on Tuesday, Cyclone Michaung has now weakened into a depression over northeast Telangana. As the cyclonic system loses strength, rescue and relief operations are underway to address the aftermath of torrential rains, intense winds, and widespread flooding.
According to a statement from the Indian Meteorological Department on Wednesday morning, the cyclonic system has transitioned into “a deep depression” over northeast Telangana, south Chhattisgarh, south interior Odisha, and coastal Andhra Pradesh. It is expected to further weaken into “a well-marked low-pressure area” in the next six hours.
Full-Scale Relief Operations:
In response to the impact of Cyclone Michaung, relief operations have gained momentum. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has played a pivotal role in delivering essential supplies, including food packets and rations, to the cyclone-affected areas near Chennai. The Indian Navy, in collaboration with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), has deployed specialized teams equipped with divers, swimmers, and inflatable boats to provide flood relief in Madipakkam and the Kolathur suburb.
Disaster Response and Relief Teams (DDRT) are actively addressing waterlogging issues in Chennai, where a devastating flood eight years ago resulted in the loss of 290 lives. The Chennai Police have reported successful rescues in various areas, including Ganesapuram, Slaterpuram, Shanmuga Street, Anbu Nagar, West Mambalam, Ram Nagar, Anna Nagar, Canal Street Marina, and Anna Sathya Nagar.
In the aftermath of the damage caused by the cyclone, 29 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are actively engaged in relief and rescue operations across the affected regions in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.