Even as rain continues to inundate Chennai, essential services like ATMs, buses, flights, petroleum products and food packets have been made available to those stuck in the deluge.
On 5 December, the Centre said that 28,000 citizens from Chennai and nearby areas have been transferred from flood-affected areas to safer locations.
Almost 30 trucks of food products, including ready-to-eat meals, and 4 lakh drinking water bottles have been dispatched to Tamil Nadu.
"The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and armed forces sent by the government of India have rescued more than 28,000 people. As the need for rescue has come down, the 50 NDRF teams and 13 Army columns deployed are now more pressed into relief services than rescue," said an official statement from the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC).
The statement also said intra-city bus services have begun. Also, power has been restored to 90% of the city.
Banking services are also staying open on Sunday to ensure the residents have access to cash. The Reserve Bank of India has said it will remain open today, December 6, to aid banking services and supply cash to local lenders, reports Reuters.
The government has asked banks to begin basic services and supply cash machines. They have also been asked to restock cash either by carrying it on boats or by providing mobile ATMs.
Telecom services, meanwhile, have not been reinstated, for which the "Tamil Nadu government will hold a meeting with telecom service providers to sort out the issues. To make petroleum products available, the Ministry of Petroleum will facilitate the same," a statement said.
The Chennai airport has become operational for limited number of flights from Sunday.
Currently, the death toll in Tamil Nadu was estimated to be around 269 on 4 December.
Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi declared a relief fund worth Rs 1000 crore over and above Rs 940 crore which has already been released. He also announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia relief for families that have lost someone during the calamity.
