Restoration of power and water supply pose a challenge
NAGAPATTINAM/TIRUCHI, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 00:00 IST
Alternative use:A woman utilising a fallen electric pole to dry her clothes, in Tiruvarur district on Saturday.M. SRINATH
Many villages in Nagapattinam and neighbouring districts remain inaccessible, with fallen trees and electric poles lining the roads
Two days after Cyclone Gaja wreaked havoc in Nagapattinam and neighbouring districts, many villages remained inaccessible on Saturday, with hundreds of trees and electric poles still lying strewn on interior roads.
Though the clearing of a few important roads of uprooted trees and debris came as a big relief to the district administration of Nagapattinam, a difficult situation prevailed in interior regions, with relief workers grappling with the tough task of restoring power and water supply in the affected areas.
If not for the strenuous work undertaken by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to remove fallen trees from the roads in the worst-hit parts of Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, relief and restoration work would have been delayed further.
Restoring access
The NDRF and the State Disaster Response Force, which began relief and rescue operations minutes after the cyclone crossed the Vedaranyam coast on Friday morning, cleared the uprooted trees and electric posts on Vedaranyam-Nagapattinam Road. But several village roads remained blocked.
“We are working on a war-footing. Our priority is to create access to all areas. It has been a challenging task as thousands of trees have fallen. We have managed to make important main roads suitable for traffic. We have now turned our attention towards interior areas,” said S. Vairavanathan, Deputy Commandant, National Disaster Response Force .
Power supply to over 75% of households in Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts is yet to be restored. Most restaurants, including roadside eateries, in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts remained closed for the second consecutive day due to power cut, causing food scarcity for long-distance commuters.
‘Unprecedented damage’
A senior official of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, who visited various affected areas, said the cyclone had badly hit the electricity network in Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts. A few parts of Tiruchi district had also suffered extensive damage. In several blocks, almost all electric poles had been uprooted.
“The cyclone has caused unprecedented damage. The magnitude of the loss is several times higher than the Thane and Ockhi cyclones. We face a Herculean task in restoring power supply. Our immediate priority is to provide power supply to hospitals and primary health centres,” the official said.
Till the later part of Saturday, several relief centres in Kottur and Thiruthuraipoondi blocks and most of the rural parts of Vedaranyam could not function as government officials were stranded.
There were reports of sporadic protests by the public, condemning delays in relief and restoration work, in different parts of the delta region and Pudukottai district.
NAGAPATTINAM/TIRUCHI, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 00:00 IST
Alternative use:A woman utilising a fallen electric pole to dry her clothes, in Tiruvarur district on Saturday.M. SRINATH
Many villages in Nagapattinam and neighbouring districts remain inaccessible, with fallen trees and electric poles lining the roads
Two days after Cyclone Gaja wreaked havoc in Nagapattinam and neighbouring districts, many villages remained inaccessible on Saturday, with hundreds of trees and electric poles still lying strewn on interior roads.
Though the clearing of a few important roads of uprooted trees and debris came as a big relief to the district administration of Nagapattinam, a difficult situation prevailed in interior regions, with relief workers grappling with the tough task of restoring power and water supply in the affected areas.
If not for the strenuous work undertaken by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to remove fallen trees from the roads in the worst-hit parts of Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, relief and restoration work would have been delayed further.
Restoring access
The NDRF and the State Disaster Response Force, which began relief and rescue operations minutes after the cyclone crossed the Vedaranyam coast on Friday morning, cleared the uprooted trees and electric posts on Vedaranyam-Nagapattinam Road. But several village roads remained blocked.
“We are working on a war-footing. Our priority is to create access to all areas. It has been a challenging task as thousands of trees have fallen. We have managed to make important main roads suitable for traffic. We have now turned our attention towards interior areas,” said S. Vairavanathan, Deputy Commandant, National Disaster Response Force .
Power supply to over 75% of households in Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts is yet to be restored. Most restaurants, including roadside eateries, in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts remained closed for the second consecutive day due to power cut, causing food scarcity for long-distance commuters.
‘Unprecedented damage’
A senior official of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, who visited various affected areas, said the cyclone had badly hit the electricity network in Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts. A few parts of Tiruchi district had also suffered extensive damage. In several blocks, almost all electric poles had been uprooted.
“The cyclone has caused unprecedented damage. The magnitude of the loss is several times higher than the Thane and Ockhi cyclones. We face a Herculean task in restoring power supply. Our immediate priority is to provide power supply to hospitals and primary health centres,” the official said.
Till the later part of Saturday, several relief centres in Kottur and Thiruthuraipoondi blocks and most of the rural parts of Vedaranyam could not function as government officials were stranded.
There were reports of sporadic protests by the public, condemning delays in relief and restoration work, in different parts of the delta region and Pudukottai district.
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