Rains, flooding bring southern Tamil Nadu to its knees
Chennai/Kanyakumari (PTI): Paddy fields, roads and bridges were submerged and many residential colonies came under sheets of water in several regions of southern Tamil Nadu as heavy rains, unprecedented in recent times wreaked havoc in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts of the state.
The rains and flooding are unprecedented and the services of the Army, Navy and Air Force have been requisitioned, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena told reporters on Monday, adding 84 boats have been deployed for rescue and relief initiatives. The government has declared December 18 a public holiday in the four districts.
Additional boats have been mobilised for regions such as Thoothukudi and the nearby towns of Srivaikundam and Kayalpattinam. As many as 7,500 people were evacuated and housed in 84 relief camps. Through the Common Alert Protocol, SMS alerts were sent to 62 lakh people.
NDRF and State Disaster Response Force personnel, Fire and Rescue Service and police teams evacuated people from heavily inundated localities and housed them in schools and marriage halls.
Southern Railway said traffic has been suspended in the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur section, between Srivaikuntam and Seydunganallur, as 'the ballast' has been washed away and the track is 'hanging' and water is flowing over the railway tracks. Several train services operated via the southern regions have been fully cancelled, some partially suspended and some trains have been diverted.
A link road to Madurai near Ottapidaram was completely cut off. The water level crossed 4 feet at Ozhuginacheri in the Kanyakumari district submerging paddy fields as the Pazahayaru river is in spate.
Residential colonies such as Meenakshi Garden and Railway Colony in Nagercoil were among the residential colonies that witnessed heavy inundation.
Stranded people were swiftly evacuated by fire and rescue and disaster response force personnel.
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No demons in pitch, just RCB’s brilliance: Krunal on DC Collapse
New Delhi (PTI): RCB all-rounder Krunal Pandya says the dramatic Indian Premier League contest against Delhi Capitals was decided as much by skill as by staying "one step ahead" in the mental game.
Reflecting on the comprehensive nine-wicket win, which will be remembered for an incredible capitulation of Delhi, Krunal underlined that there no demons in the wicket but just that pacers Bhuvneswar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood were exceptional.
"To get six wickets in the powerplay, you have literally taken the game away from the opponent. The wicket wasn't that bad, but it was pure skill set and why they are among the best," Krunal said.
Krunal also shed light on his own evolution as a bowler, revealing that the introduction of variations like the bouncer and altered trajectory deliveries was a conscious attempt to outthink batters in a format increasingly dominated by power-hitting.
"Every year the opposition prepares for you, so it becomes a mental game as well. I was thinking what I can add to be one step ahead. That’s where the bouncer and change in trajectory came in," he explained.
The left-arm spinner acknowledged that executing such variations is physically demanding, particularly for a spinner.
"It's not easy for a spinner to bowl a bouncer. A lot depends on fitness. But I've never been scared to try new things. I took it as a challenge," he said.
Touching upon his cricketing roots, Krunal revealed that the seeds of his experimental approach were sown years ago while playing on matting wickets, where he was forced to innovate after being taken apart by batters.
"That's where I learnt things like bouncers and wide yorkers. Over time, roles change, but this year I felt the need to add something new, especially with how aggressively batters are playing," he said.
Despite the dominant performance, Krunal struck a cautious note on RCB's campaign, insisting that the team is not looking too far ahead in the tournament. As of now they are placed second in the table with 12 points from six wins in eight matches.
Along with Punjab Kings, RCB are favourites from here to claim top-two spot in the race to play-offs.
The 33-year-old lauded Virat Kohli for his sustained excellence, calling him a "flag bearer" of fitness culture in Indian cricket.
"To have that consistency for so many years is unbelievable. He has changed the way people see fitness in the sport," Krunal added.
