Chennai: Rain triggered by Cyclone Ditwah lashed coastal areas and Cauvery delta districts in the state on Saturday, with Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts bearing the brunt.
As normal life in Rameswaram and Nagapattinam was affected by continuous rain accompanied by gusty winds, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said that 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF teams, are on standby.
Cyclone Ditwah lay centred over the Vedaranyam coast in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district, according to the latest bulletin from the IMD.
Under its influence, the sea in the coastal districts became turbulent. Choppy waves damaged a few mechanised fishing boats anchored near Mandapam, while portions of nearby roads were breached due to sea erosion.
The cyclone moved nearly northwards with the speed of 10 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered this evening about 80 km east of Vedaranniyam, 100 km southeast of Karaikal, 190 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 290 km south of Chennai. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach over southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of November 30, the IMD said.
It will reach a minimum distance of 60 km, 50 km and 25 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by midnight of today, early morning and evening of November 30, respectively, the bulletin said.
Vedayaranyam has been receiving heavy rainfall inundating several areas and severely impacting salt production with about 9,000 acres of salt pans getting affected.
According to B Amudha, Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, heavy to very heavy rain is likely at a few places, with extremely heavy rain at one or two locations in Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts. Heavy to very heavy rain is also likely at a few places in Kancheepuram, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, and Villupuram districts.
“A red alert has been issued for Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts tomorrow due to the possibility of heavy rain. In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, winds will blow up to 40–60 km/h,” she told reporters.
Minister Ramachandran said it was not yet clear if the cyclone would hit the coast near Chennai, but the state government is fully prepared to launch rescue and relief operations on a war footing.
“About 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF, are on standby. We are planning to airlift 10 more teams from other states. The Air Force and Coast Guard have also been alerted. Additionally, monitoring teams will be sent to the districts tomorrow,” the minister said.
There have been no fatalities so far, but 16 livestock have died, and 24 huts have been damaged. “There has been no major impact due to the rain so far. However, the state government is continuously monitoring the situation and has readied teams for rescue and relief operations,” he added.
As many as 6,000 relief camps have been established in the districts. Reports from the weather office suggest the cyclone may pass parallel to the Chennai coast, bringing heavy rain, and the public has been urged to follow Chief Minister M K Stalin’s safety instructions.
An official said 14 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have already been deployed in vulnerable districts, including Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, and Mayiladuthurai. Additional teams have been allocated for Puducherry and Chennai.
Fishermen did not venture into the sea for the second consecutive day due to rough weather.
The delta districts of Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Pudukottai, Karur, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchirappalli, and Karaikal in neighbouring Puducherry received heavy rains accompanied by strong winds.
Farmers reported that paddy crops over about one lakh acres and other crops were submerged in water.
In Chennai, an official from the Water Resources Department said surplus water from Chembarambakkam and Poondi reservoirs was being released into the sea as a precaution to safeguard the dams.
Chennai airport authorities said about 54 flights to various districts were cancelled due to the cyclone.
“With the IMD warning that Cyclone Ditwah would cause heavy to very heavy rainfall today with wind speeds of 10–15 knots, gusting up to 25 knots from the north-easterly direction, Chennai Airport is taking all precautionary measures,” the airport said in a post on ‘X’.
Southern Railway announced changes to train services due to the cyclone.
“The wind velocity at Pamban Bridge has receded and is now within prescribed limits. Hence, train traffic to Rameswaram will resume soon,” a release said.
Earlier in the day, a tourist van got stranded near a canal in Ramanathapuram district. The occupants escaped safely through the rear door.
Tourists have been advised not to visit Dhanushkodi on the southeastern tip of Pamban Island, west of Talaimannar in Sri Lanka, as a precaution. The town was destroyed in the 1964 Rameswaram cyclone.
Private weather bloggers said the cyclone’s track remained unchanged, moving parallel to the Tamil Nadu coast, and it would bring more rain over Chennai, Cuddalore, and Puducherry by tonight.
‘Ditwah’, referring to a lagoon, was suggested by Yemen and likely comes from Detwah Lagoon, a large saline lagoon on Socotra’s northwest coast.
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