Cyclone Gaja HIGHLIGHTS: A view of the damage caused by cyclone ‘Gaja’, after it hit Velankanni, in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, Friday. (PTI Photo)
Cyclone Gaja turned into a deep depression over southeast Arabian Sea on Saturday evening. It is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in Lakshadweep Islands in the next 24 hours.
Chennai Met Department has also issued warning to Tamil Nadu fishermen and advised them not venture into the Arabian Sea for the next two days.
At least 33 people were killed and over 82,000 others were affected after Cyclone ‘Gaja’ hit the Tamil Nadu coast early Friday.Ā The cyclonic storm ripped through Nagapattinam, uprooting trees and snapping power lines in coastal districts.Ā The rescued people have been sheltered in 471 relief centres in six districtsĀ including Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvarur.
See photos |Ā Thousands evacuated as Cyclone Gaja wreaks havoc in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
CM PalaniswamiĀ has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund for the families of the deceased. He also said that relief work will be taken up on a war-footing and that the work was already underway, PTI reported. He alleged that the Centre did not sanction funds which the state had sought for management of natural disasters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and assured all possible assistance.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda spoke to Tamil Nadu Health Minister and assured all possible help from Centre, reported ANI.
Congress leader P Chidambaram Saturday urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh to send a team of officers immediately to inspect the extent of damage caused by Gaja in Tamil Nadu. The former union home and finance minister also requested Singh to modify the practice of sending inter-ministerial team to a disaster-affected state only after receiving a memorandum from the concerned state government, reported PTI. He said this takes at least 2-3 weeks and full impact of the disaster is not measurable because of repair and restoration work, reported PTI.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issues warning to Tamil Nadu fishermen.
Chennai MET department has issued alert for fishermen at the west coast, reported ANI. S Balachandran of Chennai Met Department has advised them not to venture into southeast Arabian Sea & Lakshadweep area on November 17 and 18 and into west Arabian Sea on November 18 and 19.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Saturday said he has apprised the Centre of the damage caused by the cyclone Gaja in Karaikal, reported PTI. He said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had contacted him over phone on Friday to know the extent of damage the Union Territory suffered. "An interim relief would be sought along with an interim report on the damage the cyclone has caused in Karaikal," Narayanasamy told PTI. To a query on the amount of relief sought from the Centre, he said, "A detailed report was getting ready and it would be sent to the Centre on Monday."
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam too tweeted that compensation will be provided to the sufferers after the special team calculates the amount of damage caused to them by the cyclone.
TNSDMA said Cyclone Gaja has transformed into a deep depression over southeast Arabian Sea. The Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, Ministry of Defence and Indian Air Force have been requested to guide the Tamil Nadu fishing vessels in Arabian Sea to safety.
Tamil Nadu fisheries minister D Jayakumar said the survey of boats and crops damaged by the storm has already been started. Once the survey is complete, the chief minister will announce compensation for those who have suffered losses due to the cyclone, he added.
At least 35 people were killed in the severe cyclonic storm Gaja that battered Tamil Nadu coast Friday. (SHABBIR AHMED/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.)
Four construction workers were feared killed after being trapped in landslides triggered by heavy rains at Chinnapallam near Kodaikanal. Efforts were on to retrieve the bodies said the police. (PTI)
As cyclone gaja crosses over to the Arabian Sea, heavy rains are predicted for Lakshadweep Islands in the next 24 hours. The cyclone lays centered 40 Kms east of Lakshadweep forming into a deep depression.
DMK leader MK Stalin visited the cyclone-affected area and distributed relief materials to the people.
Aftermath of Cyclone Gaja in Tamil Nadu. (SHABBIR AHMED/via REUTERS)
Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi road in Tamil Nadu reopened earlier this morning after remaing closed for three days due to Cyclone Gaja. (ANI)
CM Palaniswami said that the state government, after completing assessment of damage to properties and crops, will approach the Centre for assistance. The Centre has promised the state government all assistance to deal with the situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister K Palaniswami and learnt about the situation, an official release said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh issued directions to monitor the situation in Tamil Nadu and to provide all help to the state administration. “Assured all possible assistance from the Centre in mitigating the situation arising due to cyclone. Asked the HS to monitor the situation & provide all help to the state admin,” Singh tweeted.
Gusty winds due to the cyclonic storm resulted in hundreds of trees and electricity poles being uprooted in Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts. According to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, about 12,000 electric poles, 102 sub-power stations, 495 power conductors, 100 transformers and 500 km of power lines had been damaged across seven districts.
As many as 405 mobile ambulances have been dispatched to treat those affected by the cyclone. For those with major injuries, Chief Minister’s General Relief Fund will provide Rs 1 lakh as compensation while those with minor injuries will be given Rs 25,000, the government announced.
The government has deputed a special team to assess damage to boats, crops and properties. Some 82,000 people were evacuated to 471 relief centres before the cyclone hit.
After hitting Tamil Nadu’s delta region, the Indian Meteorological Department said, the cyclonic storm moved westwards and lay centred at 8.30 am on Friday over interior Tamil Nadu, leading to heavy rain in southern parts of the state and parts of central Kerala bordering Tamil Nadu.
State Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said all fishermen from the state were safe as they were alerted in advance. The government was trying to bring back 22-odd fishermen whose boats drifted towards Sri Lankan waters in the heavy storm.
A total of 173 boats reached the Lankan coast and at least 120 were damaged. DMK leader and Leader of Opposition in Assembly M K Stalin has appreciated the efforts of the state disaster management team and relief measures taken by the state government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K Palaniswami, regarding the current situation in Tamil Nadu and assured all possible help to combat the disaster from the Centre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families of those who died in Cyclone Gaja on Friday.
A dredger that was anchored in Karaikal port ran aground due to the strong winds on Friday, reported PTI. However, no casualties were reported. The dredger 'Veera Prem' belongs to Mumbai-based Mercator Ltd and was dragged for about 60 km from the port before it ran aground, officials told PTI.
TNSDMA tweeted that the deep depression over Tamil Nadu has moved towards west and southwest over central Kerala and is likely to emerge into southeast of Arabian Sea in next 12 hours.
Collective disaster management carried out by TNSDMA along with local workers as disaster response team in Swamimalai, Thanjavur district.
A unit of technical textiles manufacturer, SRF, located in Viralimalai, Tamil Nadu, has been damaged by Cyclone Gaja, reported PTI.
The Catholic Church has expressed solidarity with the victims and has pledged to lend support to the government in its efforts towards disaster management. According to Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, the areas which are badly affected are located in Diocese of Thanjavur and Archidiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore. The districts of Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Pattukottai are the worst-affected regions.
Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) has issued warning to Tamil Nadu fishermen for the next 24 hours valid from 6pm on Friday. It has said winds will blow at speeds ranging from 30-40kmph to 50kmph over southeast Arabian sea, along Kerala coast, Comorian area and Gulf of Mannar.
A partially-damaged statue of Jesus Christ at Velankanni in cyclone-hit Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu. (Reuters photo)
ANI shared visuals of Thiruvarur's Kokaladi village affected by Cyclone Gaja.
Tamil Nadu government Friday alleged that the Centre had not sanctioned funds it had sought for the management of natural disasters such as cyclones, reported PTI. Chief Minister K Palaniswami said only a "specified" amount was sanctioned in the past which was also being used to meet the expenses of tackling natural disasters in the state.
Palaniswami's response came to reporters' queries on whether the Centre had acceded to Tamil Nadu's demand and released the entire amount for post Vardah relief activities in 2016, which was around Rs 22,000 crore, reported PTI.
Defence Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman has published a summary of the efforts by Indian Coast Guard to tackle Cyclone Gaja. She also tweeted that the Indian Coast Guard efforts have ensured that no fishermen died of the Tamil Nadu coasts.
Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) has predicted moderate thunderstorm along with rain in some areas of Vellore, Salem, Villupuram, Thiruvannamalai, Madurai and Theni districts of Tamil Nadu for the next three hours.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has posted a public alert on his Facebook page.
DMK leader M K Stalin too praised the efforts of Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) to tackle the flood situation in the state. The main opposition praising a government body, especially for its work during a natural disaster is rare, reported PTI.
M K Stalin, in his tweet, said the way TNSDMA took precautionary measures for the cyclone is praiseworthy.
Actor, and now politician, Kamal Hasan also thanked the Tamil Nadu government in his tweet applauding the rescue operations.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has tweeted that the 'Gaja' cyclonic storm is likely to cause rainfall in most districts in the state. Kerala is also expected to experience strong winds with speeds from 30-40 km per hour to 50 km per hour.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also directed Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to monitor the situation in Tamil Nadu and provide all help to the state administration.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured of all possible assistance from the central government to Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami, regarding the situation in the state.
'Spoke to CM K Palaniswami regarding the situation in cyclone-affected areas of Tamil Nadu. Assured all possible assistance from Centre in mitigating the situation arising due to the cyclone,' he said, as reported by ANI.
The cyclonic story Gaja is very likely to move nearly westwards and weaken into a deep depression during the next three hours, the latest bulletin released by IMD states.
The storm lay centred at about 95km west of Atirampattinam and 110 km east-northeast of Kodaikanal.
Severe cyclonic storm Gaja has claimed 11 lives across Tamil Nadu, the state government said in a tweet. Chief Minister Palaniswami has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 Lakh to the kin of the deceased. The CM has also announced to visit the affected areas.
Nine people reported dead across Tamil Nadu, as per local media reports.
Revenue Minister R B Udaya Kumar said that the government has tackled the cyclone situation successfully, as reported by PTI. "This was a challenging task...we are confident that we have faced it safely 100 per cent" Kumar was quoted saying, adding all post-cyclone tasks like cleaning up storm-affected areas has begun.
According to Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, as many as 81,948 people were evacuated from low lying areas and sheltered in 471 relief centres in six districts Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvarur, PTI reported.
Cyclonic storm Gaja is very likely to move nearly westwards and weaken into a deep depression during the next six hours, the latest bulletin issued by IMD stated.
Cyclone Gaja, which made landfall in Tamil Nadu on Friday morning, caused power outages in several coastal regions. Electricity supply was disconnected in Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam, Mannargudi, Irulneeki in Tiruvarur district.
The government has announced helpline numbers 1070 (state-level) and 1077 (districts) for those who may need assistance.
According to Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, as many as 76,290 people were evacuated from low lying areas and sheltered at over 300 relief centres in six districts including Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvarur, news agency PTI reported.
The severe cyclonic storm 'Gaja' crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranniyam early Friday with wind speed gusting up to 120 kmph, PTI reported.