Parts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur yet to get road link and power

Adirampattinam, Peravurani, Sethubachathiram, Madukkur were worst-affected in Thanjavur district and Tiruthuraipoondi and Muthupettai in Tiruvarur district.
Relief operations near Velankanni Road | MK Ashok Kumar
Relief operations near Velankanni Road | MK Ashok Kumar

THANJAVUR, TIRUVARUR: A day after Cyclone Gaja wreaked havoc, coastal areas of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur were on Saturday finding it difficult to return to normalcy as access to many villages was still limited with trees blocking many roads.

Adirampattinam, Peravurani, Sethubachathiram, Madukkur were worst-affected in Thanjavur district and Tiruthuraipoondi and Muthupettai in Tiruvarur district.

Many houses in Peravurani were submerged and many villages there were inaccessible as road transport and communication links were in jeopardy. “Eighty per cent of trees in the area have fallen and until relief teams reach here nothing could be done,” J Ali, a resident of Peravurani, said.

Drinking water was being supplied in some village panchayats with the help of generators that powered pumpsets. Villagers resorted to a road blockade at Sethubavachathiram demanding officials immediately visit the area and commence relief work even as officials found it difficult to reach the villages. More than 1,000 cattle, including goats grazed by people from Ramanathapuram, were feared dead in Peravurani because of the wet and cold conditions, sources said.

The situation in Tiruthuraipoondi and Muthupettai were grim. As power supply couldn’t be restored, people were struggling to get water. In Thanjavur city, water tankers and mobile generator units helped cyclone-affected people. While water tankers charged `550-600 to fill tanks, mobile generators allowed people to work their borewells for `400-500. 

12,371 workers deployed

Electricity Minister P Thangamani on Saturday said TANGEDCO had deployed 12,371 workers across the four districts affected by cyclone Gaja and that restoring power supply to government hospitals was being given top priority. Addressing media in Thanjavur, Thangamani said around 30,000 electric poles were damaged in the affected districts and power supply was affected in Nagappattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Pudukkottai. 

Tiruchy

Farmer ends life
A 30-year-old banana farmer died after he jumped in front of a moving train near Thiruvanaikovil in the early hours of Saturday allegedly due to the loss of his plantation. The deceased was identified as N Selvaraj of Thiruvanaikovil. Meanwhile, TN Banana Growers Federation’s general secretary G Ajeethan said in Namakkal that about 50,000 acres of banana plantation in seven districts were brought down by gusty winds. If your are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call 104 for the Health department’s helpline or 044- 24640050 for Sneha suicide helpline

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