Nirmala Sitharaman Takes a Swipe at Stalin Over Floods, References IMD Forecast from December 12th
Nirmala Sitharaman Criticizes Stalin Over Flood Response, Highlights IMD Forecast on Dec 12
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took a swipe at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, accusing the government of not learning from the 2015 Chennai floods. Sitharaman blamed the delay in response on Stalin’s absence in the state due to his participation in the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi. The remark followed Stalin’s allegations that the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) failed to issue timely warnings about the heavy rainfall that claimed 31 lives. Sitharaman clarified that the IMD had indeed forecasted the extreme weather conditions on December 12.
During a press conference, Sitharaman revealed that the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, equipped with modern technology, including three dopplers, had predicted heavy rainfall in Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Tuticorin on December 17.
Sitharaman further stated that the Centre had released ₹900 crore to Tamil Nadu in the current fiscal year to address the aftermath of heavy rainfall and flooding. She expressed disappointment that lessons were not learned from the 2015 Chennai floods and emphasized the immediate action taken by the Centre upon receiving news on December 18. Despite Stalin’s request, the floods were not declared a national disaster.
Highlighting the financial support provided, Sitharaman noted that the entire allocated fund of ₹900 crore for the year had been released to Tamil Nadu, with ₹450 crore in each installment. She criticized Stalin for reaching the affected districts four days later, citing his prior engagement in Delhi and the swift response from central agencies.
After the press conference, Sitharaman took to social media to mention that even during the 2004 Tsunami, which occurred when the UPA was in power with the DMK as its partner, it was not declared a national disaster. She emphasized that such declarations are not a standard practice for any disaster in any state at any time by the government of India.