CHENNAI: The cyclonic storm Ditwah, which weakened into a deep depression on Sunday night, resulted in at least four deaths in Tamil Nadu and the inundation of around 56,000 hectares of paddy fields in the delta districts even as it brought relatively less rainfall than expected.
Revenue Minister K K S S R Ramachandran, addressing reporters at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Chennai on Sunday, said that two persons died due to wall collapse in Thoothukudi and Thanjavur districts, while one died of electrocution in Mayiladuthurai, as per official records.
In Villupuram, meanwhile, a farmer was killed late on Saturday when he came into contact with an electric wire that had snapped and fallen to the ground.
K Subramani (55) of Peramandur in Villupuram, who had taken his cow for grazing, died after a tree fell over an electric post, causing a live wire to fall on Subramani and his cow on Saturday. Both died on the spot.
As many as 149 cattle died, while 234 houses and hutments were damaged in rain-related incidents, he said.
The minister said that rainwater has inundated 56,000 hectares of paddy fields in the delta districts - Nagapattinam district (24,000 hectares ), Tiruvarur district (15,000 hectares) and Mayiladuthurai (8,000 hectares).
Assessment of damages will begin after the rainwater recedes and Chief Minister MK Stalin will decide on providing compensation for the crop loss, he said.
“We expected heavy rains in the Cuddalore and Villupuram districts. But so far, these districts have received only moderate rains. A similar situation prevailed in Chennai on Sunday morning. The Meteorological Department will issue a bulletin at 1.30 p.m. on Sunday about the impact of Cyclone Ditwah in Tamil Nadu,” Ramachandran said.
The Minister said 38 relief camps have been set up in districts where a heavy rainfall forecast was made: Pudukottai (9), Mayiladuthurai (2), Ramanathapuram (2), Tiruvarur (4), Thanjavur (2), Nagapattinam (10), Villupuram (7) and one relief camp each in Ranipet and Chengalpattu.
As of Sunday morning, 2393 people have been given shelter in these camps. As many as 28 teams of SDRF and NDRF had been deployed by the state earlier. Now, 10 more teams have been deployed.
The minister also informed that people from Tamil Nadu stranded in Sri Lanka are expected to return to Chennai later in the day, as the weather situation in the island appeared to be improving.