Tamil Nadu 2024 – the highs and lows 

As usual, numerous events that occurred over 2024 did make an impact on the fortunes of Tamil Nadu. While it is undeniable that several significant events took place during this year, all chronicled in these columns as and when they happened, N. Sai Charan picks out 12 critical events that made headlines and influenced the course of history in the State. They have left their mark, but are also likely to have a long-standing impact on the near, and distant futures

If there was one incident in Tamil Nadu that shook the entire nation in 2024, it was the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy. Several residents, mostly daily-wage labourers of Karunapuram near Kallakurichi town, who consumed methanol-infused hooch bought from a local bootlegger on the night of June 18, complained of breathlessness, abdominal pain, blurred vision, and repeated bouts of diarrhoea. They were admitted to hospitals in Kallakurichi, Villupuram and Salem, and JIPMER in Puducherry. Within a couple of days, nearly 50 persons died. The State government made arrests and took action against officials. It also transferred the Collector, placed a few police officers under suspension, and transferred the probe to the Crime Branch-CID. By July, the death toll touched 68. Based on a batch of writ petitions filed by the Opposition parties, the Madras High Court on November 20 ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the tragedy.

Kallakurichi hooch tragedy

Relatives grieving over the deaths of Suresh and his wife Vadivukarasi in the hooch tragedy at Karunapuram in Kallakurichi town.
| Photo Credit:
S.S. Kumar

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Tamil Nadu witnessed a four-cornered contest: the INDIA bloc, the AIADMK-led alliance, the NDA, and the Naam Tamilar Katchi were in the game. The INDIA bloc, led by the ruling DMK won all the 39 seats. The lone seat in Puducherry also went to the INDIA bloc. The nominees of the ruling party-led alliance were far ahead of their opponents. By winning in Sriperumbudur, DMK treasurer T.R. Baalu became the second MP to enter the Lower House of Parliament for the seventh time from Tamil Nadu, next to Congress veteran P. Chidambaram. Earlier, the DMK-led alliance, in its previous avatar as the United Progressive Alliance, had swept the Lok Sabha election in 2004. The AIADMK, which hoped to reverse its fortunes after back-to-back setbacks, had lost in Theni too. It had won the seat last time. The BJP drew a blank, but increased its vote share to double-digit without an alliance.

Lok Sabha elections

DMK party Cadres celebrating party leading over their Lok Sabha Elections at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai.
| Photo Credit:
R. Ragu

In July 2024, the State government set up a 23-member ‘One Health and Climate Change Strategic Committee’ to enhance the State’s climate resilience through the One Health approach. It aims to tackle public health challenges linked to climate change, land use, and lifestyle changes, which may trigger diseases affecting both humans and animals. The Health Department’s ‘One Health and Climate Hub’ will establish response mechanisms to mitigate risks associated with zoonotic diseases, and heat and air pollution. Tamil Nadu also declared heatwave a State-specific disaster, enabling those affected by extreme temperatures to get compensation.

One Health

With the temperatures soaring up, college students seen using umbrellas to shield themselves from the scorching sun at Stanley viaduct near Chennai Central station.
| Photo Credit:
B. Jothi Ramalingam

Tamil cinema’s leading hero Vijay on February 2 took the political plunge and announced the formation of his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Positioning himself against the politics of “corruption” and “divisiveness”, Mr. Vijay declared that his party would enter the fray in the 2026 Assembly election. At its inaugural political conference held at Vikravandi on October 27, Mr. Vijay declared that his party would fight against “sectarian forces ideologically” and “Dravidian model-invoking corrupt forces politically”. He also declared that the TVK was open to sharing power with parties, hinting at such an arrangement in 2026. He claimed that Dravidam and Tamil Nationalism were two eyes of this land.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam

Actor Vijay, at the debut public rally of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam held at Vikravandi in Villupuram District.
| Photo Credit:
S.S. Kumar

The Global Investors Meet (GIM 2024) attracted investment commitments exceeding ₹6.64 lakh crore through 631 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced that these investments were expected to generate 26,90,657 jobs. A majority of investments were planned in the southern region of the State. VinFast, an electric vehicle manufacturer from Vietnam, announced its plans to establish an electric vehicle plant in Thoothukudi, and within a short span of time, the foundation was laid for this project. Later, during the Chief Minister’s trip to the United States, Ford Motor Company, which had wound up its operations in Chennai a few years ago, expressed interest in restarting manufacturing in Tamil Nadu.

Global Investors Meet

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, Inaugurating new industry project at various district, with Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, Minister of State, United Kingdom, Tariq Ahmad, Minister for Industries T.R.B. Rajaa and others at the valedictory ceremony of the Global Investors Meet-2024, at Nandambakkam in Chennai.
| Photo Credit:
B. Velankanni Raj

Cyclone Fengal, the complex and slow-moving cyclone, left a trail of destruction in the State. While cyclones causing heavy rainfall were not uncommon during the Northeast monsoon, Cyclone Fengal’s long life-cycle set it apart. The December cyclone that brought 50 cm rainfall on a single day in many districts, including Krishnagiri, Mayiladuthurai, Kallakurichi, and Villupuram, had wreaked havoc in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, claiming 12 lives and affecting 14 districts. When it moved inland, the cyclone pummelled several districts along its path, caused flash floods, submerged acres of crops, and displaced thousands of people. Tragedy struck Tiruvannamalai district when seven persons, including children, were killed in a landslide on December 1 following torrential rainfall. The overflow from the South Pennai river that was in spate, and discharge of nearly 1.68 lakh cusecs of floodwater from the Sathanur dam on December 2 led to widespread devastation.

Cyclone Fengal

Vehicles wade through stagnanted rain water at Brindavan Street Extension, West Mambalam due to Fengal cyclone in Chennai.
| Photo Credit:
M. Vedhan

In a much-awaited Cabinet reshuffle, DMK Youth Wing secretary and Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin was elevated as Tamil Nadu’s Deputy Chief Minister on September 28. He had entered the Assembly in 2021 for the first time by winning from the Chepauk-Triplicane constituency. He was inducted into the Cabinet in December 2022. Within two days of his release from the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai on September 26, V. Senthilbalaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case in June 2023, was reinstated in the Cabinet. Mr. Senthilbalaji, who was the Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise before his resignation following the arrest, was given the same portfolios.

Udhayanidhi Stalin becomes Deputy Chief Minister

M. K. Stalin, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, giving away a flower bouquet to the newly sworn in Minister Udayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Youth Welfare & Sports Development in Chennai on December 14, 2022. The Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi looks on.
| Photo Credit:
S.R. Raghunathan

The election to the managing committee of the Chennai Press Club was conducted after a gap of 25 years on December 15. The election witnessed a record voter turnout of 91.27%. The election was last held in 1999. Justice V. Bharathidasan, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, who was appointed as the Election Officer by the 12-member Chennai Press Club Special Guidance Committee that was headed by veteran journalist N. Ram, conducted the election. Earlier, the Madras High Court dismissed two petitions filed against the conduct of the election to the Chennai Press Club.

Chennai Press Club elections

The newly elected office bearers of the managing committee of the Chennai Press Club after receiving their certificates.
| Photo Credit:
B. Jothi Ramalingam

Wearing the uniform of food delivery executives, a gang of unidentified men hacked Bahujan Samaj Party Tamil Nadu president K. Armstrong, 52, to death near his house at Sembium in Chennai on July 5. The murder took place when he was standing near a construction site, close to his house, around 7 p.m. on Venugopalaswamy Street. A gang that came on bikes surrounded and attacked him with knives. Initially, it was presumed to be an act of revenge for the killing of ‘Arcot’ Suresh, said to be a gangster in north Chennai. The police eventually arrested nearly 30 persons linked to what had quickly become a highly politicised murder.

Armstrong murder

Members of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) organisations taking out a March Rally in Chennai on Saturday, seeking justice for Party State president Armstrong Murder Case.
| Photo Credit:
M. Vedhan

In September, workers of Samsung’s manufacturing facility at Sriperumbudur went on strike, pressing a slew of demands, including recognition of Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU), affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions. While workers raised various economic demands such as an incremental increase in their salaries over the next two years, at the heart of their protest was the demand for the recognition of SIWU. The government organised several rounds of conciliation meetings led by Ministers. Finally, On October 15, the Labour Department announced that the strike ended after successful negotiations between the workers and the management. Samsung workers returned to work on October 17, ending a 38-day strike.

Samsung workers’ strike

Samsung India factory workers staging continuous strike 25th day at Sunguvarchatram in near Kancheepuram.
| Photo Credit:
B. Velankanni Raj

More than 15 lakh people from various parts of Chennai and surrounding districts thronged the shores of the Marina and its neighbourhood on October 6 to witness the air show of the Indian Air Force (IAF), which was conducted as part of the 92nd Indian Air Force Day celebrations. The city, which hosted the IAF air show after a gap of 21 years, witnessed a scintillating display of fighter jets, helicopters, and vintage aircraft, which enthralled the audience. However, lack of careful preparations led to the loss of five lives. The deaths were attributed to heatstroke. Several persons reportedly fainted because of dehydration and struggled to reach hospitals owing to a surge in spectators who rushed to come out of the Marina as soon as the air show ended.

IAF airshow deaths

Crowds gather at the Marina Beach in Chennai to watch the airshow rehearsal , ahead of the 92nd Indian Air Force Day celebrations to be held on October 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
R. Ragu

Row over tungsten mining

A cross section of villagers in Madurai district objected to the proposed tungsten mining project at Nayakkarpatti in the Melur block. The issue escalated after the Union Ministry of Mines granted tungsten mining rights to Hindustan Zinc Limited through an auction on November 7. Several villages fall under the Nayakkarpatti tungsten block which also include Arittapatti, a notified biodiversity heritage site famous for archaeological monuments. The State Assembly, on December 9, adopted a resolution urging the Centre to immediately cancel the tungsten mining rights. On December 24, the Ministry of Mines requested the Geological Survey of India to re-examine the block and explore the possibility of redefining the boundaries by excluding the biodiversity heritage site.

Published – December 29, 2024 01:07 am IST

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Cyclone Fengal: The cyclone that battered Tamil Nadu

On the evening of December 1, 2024, a family of four and three of their neighbours huddled together under a metal roofed single-room house, in VOC Nagar, a residential area at the foot of the Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai district. They listened as torrential rains brought by Cyclone Fengal pounded the district in interior Tamil Nadu.

S. Meenakshi, 27, who lives opposite the house, recalls the tragedy that occurred shortly after. Her sister, R. Meena, 26, and Meena’s husband, N. Rajkumar, 32, both brick kiln workers, had returned home the previous evening as their workplace, located 20 kilometres from the temple town, had flooded. Meenakshi says the couple had been working in the brick kiln for a few years and had often stayed there for weeks to complete tasks before returning to VOC Nagar.

That Sunday was special for Rajkumar as he had come back to his children — 9-year-old Goutham and 7-year-old Iniya — after working tirelessly for a month at the kiln, she says. Meenakshi’s daughter, Ramya, 13, had also gone to Rajkumar’s house along with two neighbours — Vinothini, 14, and Maha, 10.

“Around 4.30 p.m., we heard a deafening sound. Meena called out to me and I rushed out,” says Meenakshi. “The next few moments were a blur. A heap of mud, boulders, and debris came rolling down the hill. Meena rushed inside to bring the children out but it was too late. My sister’s home was buried,” she says, sobbing.

All the seven occupants were instantly killed. Other houses in the neighbourhood were completely or partially destroyed. Relatives searched for loved ones in the slush amid relentless rains until a rescue team, led by Tiruvannamalai Collector D. Baskara Pandian, reached the site. They evacuated nearly 250 families from the hills, moved them to community halls in Tiruvannamalai town, and gave them food and medicines.

The seven bodies were recovered after a nearly 20-hour operation by a 170-member team, including 35 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force, and a sniffer dog the next evening. “When the team retrieved two bodies from the spot, they saw that Rajkumar had been holding Iniya tightly,” recalls a senior official.

A trail of destruction

While heavy rainfall during the northeast monsoon is common at this time of the year in Tamil Nadu, the State and the Union Territory of Puducherry did not expect Cyclone Fengal to cause such widespread devastation when it crossed the eastern coast on the night of November 30, 2024. On December 1, 2024, unusually heavy rainfall (40 cm to 50 cm) was recorded in many places in Puducherry and the northern and northwestern parts of Tamil Nadu. Among the coastal districts, Chennai was less affected.

The cyclone then slowly drifted westward, dumping rains, causing floods, submerging acres of crops, damaging civic infrastructure, and displacing thousands of people. When it later moved inland, it pummelled several districts. Mailam in Villupuram district received 51 cm of rainfall on December 1 and Uthangarai in Krishnagiri district received 50 cm on December 2. Some areas of Villupuram such as Kedar and Soorapattu received more than 33 cm of rainfall on a single day.

Widespread floods hit Uthangarai, Pochampalli in Krishnagiri

D. Vasanthkumar, 51, of Muthu Nagar in Nellikuppam, Cuddalore district, spent an entire night on the stairway leading to his terrace as floodwater had entered his house. “Local officials gave us flood alerts at 8 p.m. asking us to evacuate the street. But the water level rose rapidly in the area and a few of us were stranded. It took two days for the floodwater to recede,” he says. While Vasanthkumar managed to salvage important documents that were lying in his loft, he lost most of his electronic devices.

In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said 12 lives were lost in the cyclonic storm that had wreaked havoc in 14 districts. Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi received more than 50 cm of rainfall in a single day, which was equal to an entire season’s share. He noted that more than 2.11 lakh hectares of agricultural and horticultural land had been inundated and nearly 963 cattle had died. About 9,500 km of roads, 1,847 culverts, and 417 tanks had been damaged. Stalin said that the cyclone had overwhelmed the State’s resources and requested the Centre to release ₹2,000 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund to assist rehabilitation efforts.

Besides compensation for damaged crops, the Tamil Nadu government announced relief of ₹2,000 per family in the districts of Villupuram, Cuddalore, and Kallakurichi on December 3. Stalin also donated one month’s salary towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to execute relief measures in the six worst-affected districts. On December 6, the Union Home Ministry approved the release of ₹944.80 crore to the Tamil Nadu government as the Central share from the State Disaster Response Fund to help the people affected by the cyclone.

Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy announced relief assistance of ₹5,000 to all ration cardholders affected by the cyclone in the UT and ₹30,000 per hectare to affected farmers.

Vehicles in the Uthangarai area of Krishnagiri following heavy rainfall on December 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

Crops under water

Four days after the rains subsided, Villupuram, a predominant agricultural district, is struggling to return to regular life. Nearly 80,520 hectares of crops are damaged, many lakes have breached their banks, and the Malattaru and Then Pennai rivers are brimming with floodwater.

V. Tamilarasi, 64, of Pillur village in Villupuram taluk, is searching for someone to help her clear the deposits of sludge that cover her agricultural land. Flash floods in the Then Pennai river submerged crops. She has also lost two goats.

“I cultivated black gram and casuarina plantations in three acres. The crop is submerged under six feet of water. I spent ₹2 lakh for cultivation. I don’t know how I am going to manage the loss,” she worries.

Villages such as Pillaiyarkuppam and Arasamangalam have become small islands. They did not have power and communication networks for three days, which left many stranded or confined to their houses without water or food.

“The district previously experienced such large-scale floods in 1972. This time, I was caught unawares. While village administrative officers helped us, officials and elected representatives came much later,” Tamilarasi says.

The situation was no different in the urban stretches of Villupuram. S. Neela, 55, of Ashakulam, spent nearly a day cleaning the muck and waste that floodwater had brought into her house on December 1.

“Our street had waist-deep water. My family of four managed with 20 litres of packaged water for three days. We had to put up with the sewage that had mixed with the stagnant water for three days. We all worked together to drain the water as we didn’t get immediate help,” she says.

R.T. Murugan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam (All India Kisan Sabha), says, “Crops in various parts were on the verge of drying for want of water until the downpour. We have not seen such water flow in the Malattaru and Then Pennai rivers in December. I was preparing for paddy harvest for Pongal and recently sowed black gram in an acre. I face a loss of ₹50,000 as floodwater marooned my land. Poorly maintained water bodies in villages too led to quick damage.”

Several residents say they want Villupuram to be declared as a disaster-affected district.

Floodwaters in Puducherry

Puducherry heaved a sigh of relief after the storm passed through the region on December 1, but was hit by another disaster when water was discharged from the brimming dams of Tamil Nadu, particularly the Sathanur dam in Tiruvannamalai on December 2.

The discharge of 1.68 lakh cubic feet per second (cusecs) of floodwater from the Sathanur dam sparked a political debate. The Opposition parties blamed the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government for the deluge in the northern districts without prior notice. Refuting the claims of a self-created disaster, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan noted that sufficient flood warnings had been given and flood discharge was planned considering the safety of the dam and the lives of the people.

The Water Resources Department noted that uncontrolled Thenpennai river catchment worsened the flood situation. Record-breaking rainfall in Krishnagiri and flash flood in tributaries such as Koraiyar and Kallar accelerated flow in the river that was already in spate. There is no mechanism to gauge rainfall or the floodwater generated in the Then Pennai’s tributaries.

A senior Water Resources Department official says Sathanur reservoir received an inflow of 40,000 cusecs within four hours from December 1 night. The reservoir did not have sufficient storage capacity to store the entire inflow, he adds. “We adhered to the rules and there was no lag in flood warning. After 1972, when the dam discharged nearly 2.57 lakh cusecs, this is the second time that such a high quantum of surplus water was released,” the official says.

However, G. Jayakumar of Pananhuppam, Villupuram district, who helped people reach relief camps, says, “Flood warnings did not reach the villages (A.K. Kuchipalayam and Kallipattu) close to the riverbanks. Residents assumed it would be another normal rain spell. Many left behind their belongings and cattle to save their lives.”

When the Water Resources Department team visited Villupuram, they were aghast at the damage. “We could not identify boundaries of water bodies and roads. The district is generally mostly dry in December. The teams are now assessing the damage,” the official says.

In Sathanur village, S. Arul, president of the village panchayat, rescued several elderly residents from huts that were submerged in floodwater and shifted them to a school. “They also lost important documents in the floods,” he says.

Predicting the path of a cyclone

Many officials say it is difficult to be fully prepared for a cyclone that causes such extensive damage. This is especially because it is difficult for weather models to pick up extreme weather events at a particular place, according to meteorologists.

Cyclone Fengal remained a low-pressure system after forming in the far eastern Indian Ocean on November 14 and became a depression in the Bay of Bengal only after 10 days. It moved relatively slowly for another week before the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said it had become a cyclone. On November 28, the IMD announced that Cyclone Fengal would cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts on the morning of November 30. The cyclone moved at a leisurely pace. While fast-moving cyclones tend to retreat quickly, slow-moving ones weaken into a deep depression, dumping unprecedented amounts of rainfall.

S. Balachandran, Additional Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, says the cyclone had undergone changes in its intensity over the ocean due to multiple factors. “The Regional Meteorological Centre had given sufficient forecasts and rainfall alerts for north Tamil Nadu on November 30 and December 1. Most of the forecasts were accurate. But in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, the prediction on rainfall intensity went off the mark,” he says.

The storm remained stalled over the ocean for six hours. It moved slowly towards the north and then slightly towards the east before moving towards the west and crossing the coast.

“The reason for the cyclone remaining stationary is a bit obscure and there are no immediate explanations for it,” says Y.E.A. Raj, former Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Chennai. “Though the clouds associated with the cyclonic storm were floating over the land, the centre of the cyclonic storm was close to the ocean and was able to draw a lot of moisture from the ocean. Since it got fed with all that moisture, it retained its intensity. This triggered a high amount of rainfall.”

Pointing out that the global warming and climate variability are likely to increase such unpredictable local weather patterns, G. Sundararajan of Poovulangin Nanbargal, a group advocating environmental protection in Tamil Nadu, says, “There is an urgent need to bridge gaps in last mile communication on flood warnings and weather alerts. We also need to map landslide susceptibility in all the districts so that we are better prepared for such disasters.”

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Published – December 07, 2024 03:00 am IST

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பெஞ்சல் புயல் மழை பாதிப்பால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட விவசாயநிலம் ஏக்கர் ஒன்றுக்கு ரூ. 20 ஆயிரம் வழங்க வேண்டும். 

பெஞ்சல் புயல் மழை பாதிப்பால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட விவசாயநிலம் ஏக்கர் ஒன்றுக்கு ரூ. 20 ஆயிரம் வழங்க வேண்டும் என்று புதுச்சேரி அரசை மார்க்சிஸ்ட் கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கட்சி வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளது. புதுச்சேரியில் பெஞ்சல் புயல் மழை பாதிப்பால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட புதுச…

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#WednesdayFunday #TVK
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#QuickCuts: Central aid a distant dream?

As #TamilNadu seeks Rs 2000 crore from NDRF for #CycloneFengal relief efforts, #Wayanad is still awaiting the centre's aid for landslide victims.
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