NEW DELHI: As many as 31 people have lost their lives in the four districts in Tamil Nadu due to heavy rainfall, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.

The Centre has already released Rs 900 crore funds in two instalments to be used in this financial year to Tamil Nadu, she said, addressing mediapersons here.

Sitharaman said the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai has ultra-modern equipment including three dopplers and had forecast on December 12 itself that there would be heavy rainfall in the four districts - Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin on December 17.

When such a massive disaster was taking place in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M K Stalin was in Delhi with the INDI Alliance, she said.