Jaya allots Rs 150 cr for immediate cyclone relief

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today alloted Rs 150 crore for immediate relief measures and directed four ministers to visit the districts which bore the brunt of cyclonic storm 'Thane'.

After chairing a meeting with senior department officials, Jayalalithaa said she had asked her cabinet colleagues B.V. Ramana, T.K.M Chinnaiah, K.A. Jeyapaul and M.C. Sampath to visit Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts, the worst hit by the storm.

She said the sum of Rs 150 crore would be used for immediate relief measures and for restoring basic infrastructure facilities.

Damage reports

Besides, Jayalalithaa also directed the district collectors, deputy collectors and department secretaries to assess the extent of the damage caused by 'Thane' and submit a report.

Hundreds of trees had been uprooted, hampering the flow of traffic. Moreover, hundreds of electric posts have also fallen due to the cyclone, she said, directing officials to remove them by this evening.

She said as a precautionary measure, around 6,000 people living in low lying areas were moved to safer places and power supply had been suspended in Cuddalore, Villupuram and Nagapattinam districts since last night.

Four teams from National Disaster Management were also sent to Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Chennai and Tiruvallur districts, she said in a statement here.

'Not much of rain'

The very severe cyclonic storm, crossed the Tamil Nadu coast today leaving six persons dead and causing extensive damage.

"Waves measuring 1.5 metres in height are hitting the shoreline. The storm is more wind-centric and not much of rain. Puducherry recorded 14 cm rain while Cuddalore 7 cm," an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

In Chennai, people in low-lying areas were shifted to relief centres and food packets were distributed. Police banned public from venturing onto the Marina beach as sea waters entered inland, around 500 metres from the shoreline.

Flights hit

Boats and nets of fishermen were dragged into the sea due to high tides.

Chennai Corporation officials said around 2,000 people were evacuated and housed in schools and marriage halls which had been converted as relief centres.

Flights at the Chennai airport are being delayed due to strong winds. Southern Railway cancelled the Cholan Express and Trichy-Chennai Express. The Chennai-Puducherry train was terminated at Chengalpattu.