GAJA CYCLONE TOLL RISES TO 45
CHENNAI: Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday cited prior commitments like the inauguration of a bridge while saying he would be unable to visit the state’s cyclone Gaja-hit areas until Tuesday even as the toll from storm mounted to 45.
Many affected areas remained cut off from the outside world on Sunday two days after the cyclone uprooted trees, knocked down electricity poles, destroyed homes, and forced the evacuation of over 80,000 people when it made landfall before weakening as it moved inland.
“Prior engagements have kept me occupied. Till tomorrow, I have commitments like the inauguration of a bridge, opening up of new office buildings and so on in Salem and Namakkal districts. These programmes were fixed much earlier,’’ said Palaniswami.
“Further, many affected places still remain cut off and work is on to clear the roads blocked all along by uprooted trees,” he added, explaining the difficulties in touring the places by road. Residents were holding sporadic protests at many places to demand basic amenities and timely relief.
Officials said flooding, collapsing houses and electrocution have caused most deaths. A navy helicopter and two ships have had joined the relief efforts while workers were restoring roads and power cables.
Gaja is the second storm to hit the country’s east coast since cyclone Titli killed at least 62 people in Odisha in October.
Palaniswami told journalists he has deputed 11 ministers and senior bureaucrats to the affected areas to speed up relief measures and carry out restoration works on a war footing. He had earlier been scheduled to visit the area on Sunday. The CM said the state government has submitted a tentative report on the devastation to the Centre and sought an immediate release of funds to carry out relief measures. “The quantum of damage to every sector is being assessed and it is going up as only now the extent of destruction is coming to light.”
He said the government has set up 378 medical camps and 1,014 mobile units. “More people are coming to the camps and the number of those accommodated in the 483 camps has gone up to 2.49 lakh,” he said.