Hindustan Times, Chennai :
With the death toll rising to 40 and more than 80,000 people stranded at relief camps facing a paucity of food and drinking water and other amenities, the magnitude of the havoc caused by cyclone ‘Gaja’ in Tamil Nadu has left the state authorities reeling. Six coastal districts and three in the hinterland besides Karaikal in Puducherry have been ravaged.
Given the enormity of the calamity, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday urged the Centre to release funds to carry out rescue and rehabilitation operations.
The situation remains grim, with despair and anger building up over so many deaths, destruction of property and livelihoods being affected. For the successive third day, the Cauvery delta region, which faced the brunt of the cyclone, remained without power supply. As roads remain blocked due to uprooted trees, relief measures and medical assistance could not reach the affected people in many places. Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has said that he will visit the cyclone-affected areas on Sunday. But, leader of the opposition MK Stalin has already landed in Nagapattinam and is touring the worst-hit district to meet the people.
