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Rain triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, which entered the open sea inching towards the Tamil Nadu coast, lashed the coastal areas and Cauvery delta districts, with Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts bearing the brunt. Normal life in Rameswaram was affected for the second day today owing to continuous rain accompanied by gusty winds.
According to media reports, Few trees were uprooted in Nagapattinam, which also experienced heavy rains, an official said. According to State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran, it was not clear if Cyclone Ditwah will hit the coast near Chennai. But the state government is fully prepared to launch rescue and relief activities on a war footing, he said.
“About 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF teams, are on standby. We are planning to airlift 10 more teams from other states. The Air Force and Coast Guard have also been alerted. Additionally, monitoring teams will be sent to the districts tomorrow,” the minister told reporters.
There have been no fatalities so far, but 16 livestock have died, and 24 huts have been damaged. “There has been no major impact due to the rain so far. However, the state government is continuously monitoring the situation and has readied teams for rescue and relief operations,” he said.
As many as 6,000 relief camps have been established in the districts. Reports from the weather office suggest that the cyclone may pass parallel to the Chennai coast and may fetch heavy rain, he said, and urged the public to follow Chief Minister M K Stalin’s advice on remaining safe.
According to an official, 14 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have already been deployed in the vulnerable districts in the state, including Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Mayiladuthurai. Additional teams have been allocated for Puducherry and Chennai.
Fishermen from Chennai, Rameswaram, Pamban, Nagapattinam, and other coastal districts did not venture into the sea for the second consecutive day today owing to the rough weather conditions.
The delta districts of Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Pudukkottai, Karaikal, Karur, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchirappalli and Karaikal districts received heavy rains accompanied by strong winds.
Farmers claimed paddy crops raised on about one lakh acres of land and other crops were submerged in water.
In Chennai, an official of the Water Resources Department said surplus water from Chembarambakkam and Poondi reservoirs would be let out into the sea as a precaution to safeguard the dams.
The Chennai airport authorities said about 54 flights to various districts in the state have been cancelled owing to the cyclone.
“With the IMD warning that Cyclone Ditwah would cause heavy to very heavy rainfall today with wind velocity of 10-15 knots, gusting up to 25 knots, from the north-easterly direction, the Chennai Airport is taking all precautionary measures,” the Chennai Airport said in a post on ‘X’
