A bridge near Anthony Puram on the Thoothukudi-Madurai highway in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu collapsed on Tuesday, adding to the woes caused by incessant rainfall that has unleashed havoc not witnessed since 1871. The record-breaking rainfall over the past two days has severely affected nearly 40 lakh (4 million) people residing in the Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts.

The situation remains critical in Srivaikuntam and Tuticorin towns as the river Thamirabarani and its surrounding areas face extensive flooding. The state government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has labeled the rainfall as 'unprecedented'. As a result, four Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters, two navy helicopters, and two Coast Guard choppers have been deployed to the region to rescue stranded individuals and drop essential food supplies.

Kayalpattinam in Tuticorin recorded a staggering 95cm rainfall on Monday, whilst numerous towns in Tuticorin experienced over 60cm of rain, causing rivers and channels to overflow. The 37 monitoring stations in the area reported exceptionally heavy rainfall.

To aid in the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts, the Indian Air Force has utilized Medium Lift Helicopters (MLH) and Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruv. Understanding the urgency of the situation, CM Stalin has urged Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to deploy additional helicopters swiftly for the purpose of rescue and relief in the southern districts.

Rescue operations are currently underway in Tirunelveli, where heavy rain has left a trail of destruction in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Kanyakumari. Meanwhile, the Indian Army successfully completed a rescue operation at Nanalkadu on Tuesday.

In light of the reduced inflow of water into the reservoir, authorities on Tuesday made the decision to refrain from opening the Mullaperiyar dam, which had experienced heavy rainfall in its catchment area the previous day.

Amidst the calamity, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami claimed that the affected people in the rain-battered southern districts have been deprived of food for the past three days.

State's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran reported that efforts are being made to deliver food by helicopter to stranded passengers at Srivaikuntam railway station. He further stated that tri-servicemen, utilizing six helicopters, are involved in the rescue operation. Additionally, a total of 625 personnel and 230 trainee personnel are working on disaster recovery in the field.

In terms of infrastructure damage, Ramachandran informed that 83 houses in Tenkasi district were partially damaged, while 46 houses were completely destroyed. The state government is taking steps to compensate for damaged crops in the Tenkasi district.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin faced criticism on social media, as the hashtag #MissingCM trended on platform X. The posts ridiculed Stalin for attending the opposition INDIA bloc meeting in the national capital without visiting the flood-affected areas. The hashtag was initiated by the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP.

Upcoming plans include the scheduled meeting between the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Stalin has sought an appointment with the PM to discuss financial aid for relief and restoration work in the districts devastated by Cyclone Michaung.

To oversee rescue and relief operations, the Chief Minister has deployed nine ministers and a group of IAS officers to the affected districts.