Mamallapuram emerges largely unscathed from cyclone

Residents of Mamallapuram heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday, as the ancient coastal town came out of Cyclone Nivar, which made landfall further south, unscathed.

For two days, the tourist town seemed tense, after predictions said the cyclone would make landfall closer to it. Thursday, however, brought respite, as several shops opened shutters.

While staff of the Mamallapuram special panchayat, in coordination with Fire and Rescue Services personnel, were busy removing fallen trees, maintenance staff of Tangedco were seen repairing power lines to bring back power supply to over 12,000 consumers in the town.

Except for a few fallen trees, the town did not suffer major damage. Its central part, however, is yet to see a revival in tourism and business activities.

Further into the township, towards the fishing hamlets of Kokkilamedu and Venpurusham, the sea remained a little rough, but fishermen were happy that the cyclone spared their boats, which were parked on high grounds, based on advice from local panchayat officials. Shankar, a fisherman from Venpurusham village, who witnessed the destruction caused by Cyclone Vardah in 2016, said Cyclone Nivar passed off “peacefully”, though the Chengalpattu administration had warned about the storm.