Cyclone Nivar spares Chennai; batters Cuddalore and Puducherry

While Chennai heaved a sigh of relief despite inundation in the suburbs, cyclone Nivar wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu's coastal Cuddalore district and neighbouring Union Territory of Puducherry. Three people have died and three others injured in rain-related incidents. Standing crops in thousands of acres were submerged and the gusty winds uprooted trees and electricity poles. The Tamil Nadu government and the UT Administration have swung into relief and restoration operations, writes M C Rajan, ETV Bharat's Tamil Nadu Bureau Chief.

Chennai:Even as Chennai heaved a sigh of relief at cyclone Nivar sparring the metro, the hurricane which made landfall at Marakkanam, 120 km from here on the east coast late last night, battered Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district and Puducherry, leaving a trail of destruction. In rain-related incidents, three people have died and three others injured, officials said.

Cuddalore, which was ravaged in the previous cyclone Vardha and Nilam, bore the brunt this time as well along with Puducherry. Standing crops in thousands of acres were either destroyed or submerged underwater. Electric poles and trees were uprooted bringing normal life to a grinding halt in the coastal district. Puducherry had withdrawn the clampdown under Section 144 and restoration works and clearing of waterlogging as well as tree trunks on the roads and streets were in full swing with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy inspecting them in the morning.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami visited Cuddalore district in the afternoon to personally assess the havoc caused by the cyclonic storm. The government has begun assessing the damages caused by the cyclone. “In view of the cyclone, 2.27 lakh people have been accommodated in 3085 relief camps.

As for as damages are concerned, 101 houses were damaged and 26 cattle heads have perished. The process of assessing and accounting the damage has started and the government will announce the compensation package soon,” Revenue Minister R B Udayakumar, told the media adding that relief and restoration works were being carried out on a war footing.

Read:Retrospect of cyclones in Tamil Nadu

The torrential rains that lashed the city coupled with the heavy discharge from the Chembarambakkam lake at the eleventh hour has resulted in inundation of southern suburbs. The Adyar river too was in spate due to this. But, people, mostly slum dwellers along the banks have been evacuated to safety in relief centres. The discharge, however, has been scaled down from 9000 cubic ft last night to 500 cft this morning. Significantly, the gates of the lake, one of the prime freshwater sources to Chennai, have been opened after five years.

For Chennai it was not a repeat of the 2015 December deluge, when most parts of the city, especially in the south, were accessible only through boats. Till this evening, residents in waterlogged areas like Mudichur, Velacherry were seen atop terraces or moving to the first floor. There were reports of reptiles entering houses and apartments, keeping residents on tenterhooks.

With the cyclone losing its intensity and severity, rains have stopped but for strong drizzle across the city. Transport services including the Chennai Metro have resumed normal services. The airport, which was closed yesterday, has commenced flight operations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and assured them of all possible help.