Cyclone Gaja: the aftermath

The boats that were damaged at Eripurakkarai in Thanjavur district on Sunday.

As many as 45 people were dead, over 1.7 lakh trees were uprooted and public infrastructure was crippled as severe cyclonic storm Gaja made a landfall near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district in the early hours of November 16, 2018, leaving a trail of destruction in the delta and coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.

According to official estimates, 735 cattle died, 1.17 lakh houses were damaged and 88,102 hectare of agricultural land were affected in six districts of Tamil Nadu — Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur — and Karaikal in neighbouring Puducherry.

Uprooted trees, damaged electric poles hanging on at a street in Samantham Pettai in Nagapattinam in the early hours of Friday. Wind gusting upto 100 kmph lashed the district. Four NDRF teams have been already deployed in Nagapattinam district, officials said.

A man searches for his belongings amidst his damaged house in Thoothukudi on Friday.

A coconut tree falling on an overhead power cable in Karaikal on Friday. The government has declared holiday for all educational institutions in Puducherry and Karaikal regions on Friday in view of heavy rain.

Incessant drizzle did not deter this cyclist from venturing out in Madurai on Friday. A scene shot at Vaigai river south bank, near Madurai. According to Madurai District Collector S. Natarajan, following intermittent rains, temporary shelters are in ready mode to move people in the event of inundation.

A fallen tree blocks an arterial road in Sathakonvalasai near Uchapuli in Ramanathapuram district. Power connection has been switched off in TANGEDCO sub-stations in Ramanathapuram. According to Ramnathapuram Collector, K. Veera Raghava Rao, fishermen were cautioned not to venture into the sea.

Overnight rains damaged a mobile tower in Pattukottai, near Thanjavur.

A view of the ‘Periya Pallivasal’ (Big mosque) in Pattukottai that was damaged due to the cyclonic winds in Pattukottai. Heavy rains accompanied by strong wind claimed the lives of seven more persons in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Friday.

Rescue workers removing an uprooted tree at Niravi in Karaikal on Friday. Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy will visit the areas affected by Cyclone Gaja, later on Friday.

Women coming out of their hut after a tree fell on it near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, in the wee hours of Friday. Six persons died in the district at Adiramapattinam, Thiruchitrambalam, Orathanadu, Melattur and Peravurani due to wall collapse, uprooting of trees and collapse of asbestos sheet roof.

The sea turned rough in Puducherry, as huge waves hit the port during Cyclone Gaja.

1 / 3

Even though train services have been restored in these districts, it may take time to repair the coastal stations such as Adhiramapattinam where shelters were blown away.

Electricity is yet to be restored in several areas as transformers and cabled have been damaged. The TANGEDCO has suffered a loss of ₹1,000 crore till now as per the assessment done after the Gaja cyclone.

Even as a section of fishermen ventured into the sea two days after the landfall, a number of damaged boats and fishing nets lying ashore paint a grim picture. The impact is deadlier than that of the 2004 Tsunami, the fishermen say.