Karunanidhi asks ministers to help in flood relief

CHENNAI - With heavy rains lashing Tamil Nadu and a flood warning issued in many districts, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Tuesday appealed to ministers and DMK party men to assist in the rescue efforts in affected areas.

The northeast monsoon has been active over Tamil Nadu since Oct 29 and the southern districts in the state have experienced good rains.

In a statement issued here, Karunanidhi said: Even though district collectors and other state government officials are working hard in flood relief activities due to heavy rains, state ministers and party men should cooperate with government officials in the relief operations, assess the damage and report it to the government through district collectors.

In Madurai, the gates of the Vaigai Dam were opened Tuesday morning as the water level was rising fast and flood warning was issued to nearby districts.

At least five people have lost their lives due to rains in the state following wall collapses in different incidents in Madurai, Villupuram and Coimbatore since Sunday.

The weatherman has predicted isolated heavy rain over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the next two days.