Thousands moved to temporary shelters in Cuddalore, Puducherry

More than 10,000 in Cuddalore have been shifted to 233 cyclone shelters

Sense of relief: People evacuated from low-lying areas at a cyclone shelter near Puducherry on Wednesday.

Over 10,000 coastal dwellers in Cuddalore and about 1,000 persons in the fishing hamlets of Puducherry have been moved to temporary shelters due to Cyclone Nivar.

According to official estimates, more than 10,000 persons in Cuddalore have been shifted to 233 cyclone shelters in Cuddalore, Panruti, Chidambaram and Kattumannarkoil.

The district administration has stocked 865 metric tonnes of rice and other essential grains to provide food to those accommodated in camps.

To ensure the distribution of food three times a day, the administration had activated four community kitchens in the district.

Besides, 68,300 kg of rice had been despatched to 683 village panchayats, 8,000 tonnes of rice to town panchayats and 5,000 kg of rice to five municipalities as cyclone relief, an official release said.

The district received intermittent rain all through the day on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the territorial administration in Puducherry shifted close to 1,000 persons from coastal areas to relief camps in the Puducherry region. “We are expecting more people to move to relief camps by Wednesday night. Revenue authorities are persuading people in low-lying areas also to shift to shelter homes,” Development Commissioner A. Anbarasu told The Hindu .

Around 250 relief camps have been activated to accommodate those affected by the cyclone, he added.

The Civil Supplies Department has stocked enough essential grains and vegetables to provide free food for those in the camps and inundated areas for next three to four days, he said. The region witnessed heavy rain by evening, accompanied by light thunderstorm.