NAGAPATTINAM: Hours before Cyclone Gaja made landfall, there was frenzied shopping activity across the district as people tried to stock up essentials.
Thanks to the unabated coverage of Gaja’s progress and lessons learnt from cyclonic storms in the past, people headed to marketplaces right from the morning on Thursday.
In Vedaranyam, almost all shops, including pharmacies and eateries, had long queues. Several shops, particularly those that sold perishables and grocery items did brisk business as people ensured they stocked up essential items for at least the next two days. Around 5 pm, the town fell silent.
S Thangarasu, who was carrying a bag full of vegetables on a bicycle, said: “I bought vegetables needed for two days because we are not sure whether we can get them in the days after Gaja landfall.” An overloaded plastic bag carried by a person on a two-wheeler tore and the vegetables scattered on the road. Passersby came to his help.
Radha, an owner of Pappa vegetable shop, said, “A large number of people started coming after 3 pm. Today’s business was three times more than normal days. Anticipating this, I brought extra load from Darasuram market.”
Perhaps, as a result of almost non-stop coverage of the cyclone, many people were seen anxious. The district administration too alerted people through the public address system, advising them to remain indoors till conditions improved.
Many residents were seen chopping down branches of trees fearing they might crash due to strong winds and damage houses. Mayilvahanan, a Vedaranyam resident, said “When cyclone Thane hit in 2011, the tree in front of my house fell down. Now as a precautionary step, I am chopping branches of trees near my house so that they could withstand the cyclone Gaja.”
As the rain started around 6 pm, residents moved to the cyclone shelters arranged by the Nagapattinam district administration. Hundreds of them are staying in temporary shelters like marriage halls, school and college campus. Some people chose to rent rooms in lodges. While a few of them cooked food for dinner, most of the people took parcels from hotels in the evening.
Candles in short supply:
Unavailability of candles in shops at Vedaranyam left residents worried. TANGEDCO cut power-supply by 5 pm as a precautionary measure, and many people swarmed to shops to buy candles but were disappointed as there was not enough stock.
Same was the case in lodges as not many had generators forcing people to spend the night in darkness, A shopkeeper said, “There is no demand for candles during normal days so we do not keep much stock. Now all of a sudden, everyone is asking for bulk of candles. I have not predicted it.”