Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Friday ordered the release of Rs.150 crore towards relief and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure in the state due to cyclone 'Thane' that crossed the state coast in the morning.
In a statement issued here, Jayalalithaa said: "I have ordered the immediate release of Rs.150 crore towards relief and restoration of infrastructure damaged by the cyclone. Further, district collectors, department heads and secretaries have been ordered to estimate the damages and submit to the government.”
Jayalalithaa chaired a meeting of ministers and officials here Friday to take stock of the situation due to cyclone 'Thane'. She also ordered ministers B.V. Ramanaa (Environment), C.V. Shanmugam (School Education, Sports), K.A. Jayapal (Fisheries), T.K.M. Chinnaya (Animal Husbandry) and M.C. Sampath (Rural Industries) to oversee relief measures in Tiruvallur, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Kanchipuram and Cuddalore, respectively.
According to Jayalalithaa, power supply was disconnected in Cuddalore, Villupuram and Nagapattinam since last night as a precaution. She added that orders have been issued to restore power by setting right the lines and traffic by removing fallen trees by Friday evening.
Jayalalithaa said around 6,000 people living in low-lying areas in Kanchipuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Villupuram and Chennai have been shifted to safer places. Teams from the National Disaster Management Force have been sent to Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Chennai and Tiruvallur. Cyclone 'Thane', packing wind speeds of 140 kmph, made landfall on the coast between Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Friday morning.
In the process, it uprooted hundreds of trees, electric poles and mobile phone towers, damaged standing crops across the coastal districts and also killed at least five people.
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