- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:32 05:49 12:21 15:48 18:47 20:04
Indian volunteers distribute packets of milk from the back of a vehicle to flood affected residents in Chennai on December 5, 2015. Thousands of rescuers are racing to evacuate victims of the Tamil Nadu flooding, which has claimed nearly 300 lives since November 9. Weather officials said rainfall in Chennai had diminished since earlier in the week, but parts of the city of 4.6 million people remained submerged. AFP
The Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), a socio-cultural group in the UAE, will start relief and rehabilitation work to help the people of flood-hit Tamil Nadu.
Anwar Naha, President KMCC, announced that the community body would start relief measures in consultation with the Tamil Nadu Muslim League Committee.
Members of the association and its well-wishers will donate one-day salary for the rehabilitation and charity work in Tamil Nadu.
Naha and Ibrahim Mulchandy, General Secretary of KMCC, appealed to the community members to take part in the fund raising drive to help Tamil Nadu flood victims.
Recently, KMCC had raised funds to help UAE Red Crescent humanitarian drive in Yemen.
Members of the Tamil community in the UAE are worried about their families back home. Thousands of residents in Chennai and suburban areas are facing an acute shortage of food, medicines drinking water and other essential items, like milk and power due to flood.
Hundreds of lives were lost and thousands of people were rendered homeless in the worst flood in 100 years, due to heavy rainfall. More than 260 people have died in the floods.
Remittance fee waived off
UAE Exchange, remittance and foreign exchange company, on Sunday announced waiving off the commission for money transfers to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Tamil Nadu State and Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, India.
This was the brand’s initiative toward helping the victims of floods in Chennai recently. People, willing to donate money for the cause, can walk in to any of branches of UAE Exchange to send money to designated bank accounts for free.
Promoth Manghat, CEO of UAE Exchange, said: “As part of our efforts to help the flood victims, we have waived off the commission for all remittances to ‘Chief Minister’s Relief Fund’ Tamil Nadu State, India and ‘Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund’ India, so that more people can reach out with more funds in the need of the hour. Those willing to donate for this cause can walk in to any UAE Exchange branch and send money for free.”
Airport reopens in India's flood-hit south
India's main airport in flood-devastated Tamil Nadu state reopened on Sunday as emergency workers strove to help thousands of residents forced to flee their inundated homes.
The international airport in the state capital Chennai had closed on Wednesday leaving thousands of passengers stranded, after record rains worsened flooding that has claimed nearly 300 lives since November 9.
"There was no damage to the runway. It remained under water for a few days but has been cleared now," national Aviation Minister Mahesh Sharma said as passengers started to gather at the terminal.
"We had a few relief flights yesterday from the airport and today commercial flights have resumed their services."
Thousands of residents have been rescued by boat or plucked from rooftops after the floods left much of Chennai, a city of more than four million, underwater. Power supplies and phone networks were also hit.
Soldiers and other emergency workers who poured into the southeastern state have now switched to rushing food, clean drinking water and medical supplies to hard-hit residents.
"The army has... distributed relief materials including water and food to over 20,000 people," said Colonel Rohan Anand.
But rain was again falling in Chennai on Sunday, threatening to hamper relief efforts along with attempts to clear roads of waterlogged debris.
Anger is mounting among some residents who accuse local authorities of failing to work swiftly to help those affected.
V. Padmavathy said she had been stuck on the first floor of her home for days after waist-deep water swept through her north Chennai neighbourhood.
"None of the politicians or volunteers have approached us for the past couple of days. Many of us stayed indoors and starved," the mother of two told AFP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the floods as a consequence of climate change, as top negotiators meet in Paris to try to agree on reducing the rate of global warming.
Experts have said poor urban planning had likely worsened the disaster.
India suffers severe flooding every year during the annual monsoon rains from June to September.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.