Rain lashed coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as cyclone Gaja crossed the state’s coast between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranniyam early Friday with wind speed gusting up to 120kmph.
As Gaja’s landfall began, coastal towns including Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thondi and Pamban in Tamil Nadu and Karaikkal and Puducherry received rainfall ranging between 3cm and 8cm.
Cuddalore received 8cm, Nagapattinam 5cm and neighbouring Puducherry and Karaikkal 5cm each up to 5.30am Friday, according to an official of the Indian Meteorological Department in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority said those in the relief centres went up to 81,948 in 471 relief centres at Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur from 76,290 people who were earlier evacuated from low-lying areas.
A holiday has been declared for educational institutions in Nagapattinam district.
An IMD bulletin said, “Severe cyclonic storm ‘Gaja’ crossed Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam… with wind speed of 100-110kmph gusting up to 120kmph, early Friday.”
Though the centre of Gaja entered land early Friday, it took about two hours more for the rear sector of eye wall to enter the land region.
“Entire eye wall region lies over land. Maximum wind speed was reported at Athiramapattinam 117kmph, followed by Nagapattinam 100kmph and Karaikkal 83kmph,” the latest bulletin said.
Gaja is very likely to move nearly westwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm later on Friday.
Due to heavy winds during the cyclone’s landfall, trees, high mast lamps and some power poles in locations including Vedaranyam, Mannargudi and Irulneeki at Tiruvarur district got uprooted.
Uprooted trees have fallen on the roads, which are being removed by civic workers.
Electricity supply was disconnected in several other coastal regions in view of Gaja’s landfall, officials said.
Revenue Minister R.B. Udayakumar told reporters that the government has tackled the cyclone situation successfully.
“This was a challenging task. We are confident that we have faced it safely 100 per cent,” he said, adding all post-cyclone tasks like cleaning up storm-affected areas has begun.
The government has got inputs of damage to houses and other properties and the extent of damage will be evaluated, he said.
Four teams each of National Disaster Response Force personnel have been already deployed in Nagapattinam district while two teams of the state disaster response force are in Cuddalore district, officials had said Thursday.
The state disaster management authority had released an animated video aimed at creating awareness on the do’s and don’ts during cyclone.
The government had also announced helpline numbers 1070 (state-level) and 1077 (districts) for those who may need assistance due to Gaja.
