CHENNAI : Among the very many victims of Cyclone Michaung are also several panchayats in Pulicat that have been marooned. Broken boats, flooded homes, and days of no food and mobile network – the storm has left a lasting mark on the residents’ lives. Four days on, the hamlets have turned islands, completely cut off from basic facilities.
“We have witnessed many cyclones before but nothing like this. It continuously stormed for over 24 hours and there is just water all around us now,” said Durai Mahendran, Tamil Nadu Fishermen Association president. The deluge has severely hit over 30 villages near his area, Santhanamkuppam, and nearby Lighthouse Panchayat, and Arangakuppam.
“Some places are submerged in up to 6-10 feet of water. Even milk and food are not available to us. With the storm damaging many fishing boats, our livelihood has also been affected,” Mahendran said, alleging that though many officials came to meet them before the cyclone, none was spotted in the vicinity after the storm.
From Lighthouse Kuppam to Kottakuppam Panchayat, several villages were dealt a severe blow. Another fisherman said when shutters of Chembarambakkam and Puzhal reservoirs were opened, the inflow to Pulicat Lake surged, exacerbating the floods in nearby areas. He too rued the unavailability of food in the area and said that officials had promised to visit their area on Friday evening.
According to Meerasha, a resident and founder of the Mangrove Foundation, “There is dangerous heavy north wind in the sea. The fishermen won’t be able to venture into the sea for 15-20 days. So, they can’t even earn wages at a time when they are deprived of basic facilities. The bus services also resumed only yesterday (Thursday). All the previous cyclones, including the recent Vardha, had the high-speed north wind in common.” The state government and the district administration must take immediate steps to distribute groceries and other essentials to families in Pulicat, he urged.
On December 3, an average of 200 mm of rainfall was recorded and Ponneri taluk was the worst hit, said district collector Prasbhushankar Gunalan. Refuting allegations that no relief effort was initiated, the collector said, “We travelled across the stretch of the coast on December 2 and readied five multipurpose shelters. Around 3,000 people were shifted to the shelter homes. Over three days, we shared relief materials to the villages via boats. Power could not be restored earlier as the areas were inundated.”
Gunalan added that damages to fishing equipment, houses, and livestock are being assessed. “Flood relief kits comprising 10 kg of rice, and one kg of atta, among other materials will be distributed from Friday onwards. We have already distributed 5000 flood relief kits to Scheduled Tribe families across the district,” he added.