Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today visited districts hit by Cyclone Gaja in the State and distributed relief material among the affected people.
Palaniswami, who on Monday announced Rs 1,000 crore for immediate relief and rehabilitation works, visited affected areas in Pudukottai and Thanjavur districts. He assured power supply restoration in Pudukottai town by tomorrow evening and in the rest of the villages, in five days.
He also mentioned that everyone will receive the relief without being left out.
The CM, then, presented Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of six people who lost their lives in Mapillayarkulam, Pudukottai district.
Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, ministers and officials, Palaniswami inspected coconut groves devastated by the cyclone in Thanjavur district and also distributed relief material, including rice and other essential articles, to the affected people.
He will also be calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi 22 November seeking relief from the Centre.
He urged people to donate for relief activities in the affected areas and revealed a couple of payment portals.
MORE RAIN
After Cyclone Gaja wrecked central Tamilnadu, the new low pressure area over the bay, for its part, has lashed south Tamilnadu especially the Southern Ghat regions of Shencottah and Manimutharu with Chennai getting missed for the second time in a row this month.
But the Met department has said the low pressure area will soon turn into a depression reviving the prospects of rain for Chennai again for the last time this month.
A Met official, said, “As forecast yesterday, the low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean now lies as a well-marked low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal and equatorial Indian Ocean. It is likely to move further westward towards our coast and concentrate into a depression soon. In the wake of this, isolated heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur over Tamilnadu and Puducherry in the next 24 hours.”
On Monday, Palaniswami took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting in Chennai and announced an immediate cash assistance totalling Rs 8,800 to each family sheltered in relief camps besides, 10 kg rice and four litres of kerosene.
He has also said compensation would be given to farmers and fishermen.
In a statement, Palaniswami had said the toll in the cyclone has risen to 46, while a total of 2,51,674 people were staying in relief camps. He said Rs 5,000 would be given as immediate livelihood support to each family lodged in cyclone centres, to those who lost their homes and fishermen who lost their boats.
Besides, Rs 3,800 per family would be given for buying clothes and utensils, he said. In addition, people whose huts were completely damaged will be provided Rs 10,000 assistance while partially damaged houses will get Rs 4,100.
SEEKING FUNDS
The State will also seek Central funds considering the extent of the damage, he said.
He said coconut farmers will get a compensation of Rs 2.64 lakh per hectare, while for paddy crops it will be Rs 13,500 per hectare. On the farm front, 88,102 hectares of agricultural and horticultural crops have been damaged.
The Chief Minister also said compensation ranging from Rs 42,000 to Rs 3 lakh would be given to fishermen depending on the extent of damage to their fishing boats.
NATIONAL DISASTER?
Advocate Alagumani filed a petition in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court today urging that Cyclone Gaja be declared a national disaster.