Overview
Cyclone Fengal struck the Union Territory of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu on November 30, 2024, bringing heavy rainfall and powerful winds (60–90 km/h). Puducherry recorded an unprecedented 48.6 cm of rain in 24 hours, leading to severe flooding, displacement, and damage across homes, agriculture, and infrastructure. Coastal and low-lying areas, including the riverside communities and fishing villages where Sharana works, were hit hardest.
Sharana’s Immediate Response
Sharana’s team mobilized quickly to assist the most affected areas within our network. Over 800 meals were prepared and distributed daily to vulnerable families, especially in the fishing and riverside communities. Our social workers offered emotional and logistical support to families in distress, ensuring that relief went beyond material support to include ongoing follow-up. We remain committed to supporting these communities, helping them rebuild and recover in the long term.
Our Operations Director on the field
Government Response
The government responded swiftly by issuing evacuation alerts, restoring electricity and mobile services, clearing major roads, setting up relief camps, and deploying over 4,000 personnel, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Army, to conduct rescue operations. Emergency SOS numbers were circulated, and critical support was sent to affected areas. While the government’s initiatives were essential, the scale of the destruction highlighted the need for additional community-driven support. Sharana’s local presence became crucial in addressing the specific needs of affected communities. NGOs like Sharana played a vital role in supporting affected families at the grassroots level.
Challenges Faced
The challenges during the relief efforts were significant. Power outages and communication breakdowns hindered coordination and made it difficult to stay in touch with affected communities and team members. Widespread flooding further delayed the delivery of supplies. Initial shortages of essential items like milk and rising prices due to disrupted supply chains added to the difficulty. However, the biggest challenge was securing sufficient funds to sustain the relief work. Fortunately, individuals and organizations who are familiar with Sharana stepped forward to support our efforts, enabling us to continue providing much-needed assistance.
Disaster Relief Efforts by Sharana in Affected Areas
Sharana has been actively involved in disaster relief across the regions we serve, including Solai Nagar and surrounding slums in Puducherry, and the villages of Angalakuppam and the Irular tribal community in T.N. Palayam. Despite the challenges posed by Cyclone Fengal, Sharana’s team remained committed to providing crucial support.
Solai Nagar & Surrounding Slums:
Solai Nagar, a fishing community along the seashore, faced significant damage from the cyclone. The government had advised fishermen to secure their boats, and many families sought refuge in community centers and schools. Despite the destruction, Sharana’s team distributed essential relief items, including food packets and dry snacks, to affected families. Over the course of a week, approximately 1,800 food packets were distributed, ensuring families received consistent support.
meals
Our Operations Director on the field in Solai Nagar
Sharana’s Response for Children at the Drop-in Center
In response to the needs of children affected by Cyclone Fengal, we established a Drop-in Center at our office, providing a safe space for children from vulnerable areas, including fishing communities. From the day of the heavy rains through the cyclone and continuing until now, approximately 80 children took shelter here, receiving meals, health drinks, and snacks. With schools closed and midday meals unavailable, this center has been crucial in ensuring children remain nourished and safe.
Our social workers have been offering emotional support, engaging the children in activities to alleviate their distress, and providing reassurance. The Drop-in Center has proven to be an essential space for emotional healing, offering children stability amidst the ongoing crisis. We remain committed to continuing these efforts, creating more safe spaces for children as we support the community’s recovery.
Children at our Drop-in Centre
Angalakuppam
Cyclone Fengal caused severe flooding in the village of Angalakuppam, where many homes were submerged in waist- to neck-deep water. Most of the 110 families were rescued and taken to relief camps, but 30 to 50 individuals refused to leave due to their attachment to their cattle. Despite the hardships, the youth and children in the village displayed extraordinary resilience, assisting with evacuations and distributing essential supplies.
Sharana’s team navigated floodwaters to distribute food packets, biscuits, bread, and bananas. As the waters receded, Sharana distributed 110 ration bags, each containing essentials like rice, oil, dal, sugar, and cleaning products, to help families recover. Sharana also provided emotional support, with team members offering hope and reassurance to distressed families.
Angalakuppam
Angalakuppam
Health Support in Angalakuppam
Lakshmi, a dedicated nurse in Angalakuppam, provided immediate first aid to treat injuries caused by debris and other storm-related accidents. She also educated villagers on maintaining hygiene to prevent infections in flood-affected conditions. Ongoing health interventions have focused on treating skin rashes, fever, cold, and other illnesses caused by prolonged exposure to contaminated water. Lakshmi, along with social workers were on 24 hour stand by and visited vulnerable families daily, especially mothers, young children, and the elderly, to assess their physical and emotional well-being. For more serious cases, referrals to hospitals were made as needed. This health support is ongoing, addressing the continuing needs of the community as they recover from the disaster.
Losses in Angalakuppam
- 1 Agricultural and Livestock Losses: 30 families lost cow feed, 10 cows fell ill, and 20 families lost hens, cocks, and goat babies. Additionally, several families lost their cultivated crops.
- 2 Fishing Equipment Losses: 20 families lost their fishing nets, significantly impacting their ability to resume fishing activities and support their livelihoods.
- 3 Livelihood Losses: 2 families lost their petty shops, 3 families lost their carpentry machines and materials, and 5 families lost their tailoring machines.
- 4 Housing and Infrastructure Losses: 3 families lost their homes, and 1 family lost their cow shed.
- Other Losses: 15 families lost electrical items.
These losses reflect the immense challenges faced by the community. However, with the ongoing support from Sharana and the dedication of local teams, Angalakuppam is slowly recovering.
T.N. Palayam
The Irular tribal community in T.N. Palayam faced severe hardship due to flooding caused by the release of water from the Sathanur Dam. The disaster displaced 30 families, who were relocated to a nearby school, while 20 families chose to remain in their homes. In response, Sharana stepped in to support the affected families, distributing approximately 950 food packets, 100 milk packets, and 525 dry snacks packets.
As the floodwaters began to recede, Sharana continued its relief efforts by providing additional food supplies and distributing 50 ration kits to help families regain self-sufficiency. Each ration kit contained essential items such as rice, lentils, cooking oil, sugar, soap and other essentials to support the families during their recovery.
T.N Palayam ration distribution
Looking Ahead: Rebuilding and Resilience
In the wake of Cyclone Fengal, Sharana remains committed to supporting affected families with immediate relief and long-term recovery. Alongside government aid, our efforts focus on rebuilding homes, providing essentials for the elderly, distributing notebooks to children, and organizing health camps in Angalakuppam. To restore livelihoods, we are offering loans to families, particularly in the fishing community, to rebuild homes, purchase equipment, and revive agriculture.
We are also fostering emotional resilience through initiatives like an expressive arts exhibition in Angalakuppam. We commend our dedicated team, ground staff, and the youth for their tireless efforts in relief operations. With collective support, Sharana is determined to restore hope, rebuild lives, and ensure no one is left behind.
