Dark new year for cyclone-hit Tamil Nadu districts
January 1st, 2012 - 1:03 pm ICT by IANSChennai, Jan 1 (IANS) Tamil Nadu welcomed 2012 with celebrations but it was a dark new year for people in Cyclone Thane-hit Cuddalore and Chidambaram districts as there was no power supply. The cyclone has killed 46 people in south India.
A sizeable crowd assembled at the Marina and the Besant Nagar beaches here and flew balloons to celebrate the new year. People greeted strangers on roads and in some localities crackers were burst.
Police had an eye on the revellers to avoid any untoward incidents. Hotels and other joints staged New Year programmes, attracting party animals while the pious ones went to temples that conducted special prayers starting midnight.
Governor K. Rosaiah, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi greeted the people on the occasion.
In Cuddalore, several trees, street lamp posts and electric poles were uprooted by the cyclone that packed a wind speed of 140 kmph when it crossed the coast Friday.
There has been no power supply in Cuddalore and Chidambaram for the past two days.
“There is no power, water supply is hit. We are not able to draw water from the wells,” a housewife in Cuddalore told IANS.
Water is being supplied to people in tankers, according to a district administration official.
Officials said it would take at least two more days to restore power supply in the district as most of the electric poles have been uprooted.
In Puducherry, efforts were on to clear trees, electric poles and lamp posts. Power supply is expected to be restored in a couple of days.
At least 35 people have died in Tamil Nadu, four in Kerala and seven in Puducherry - mainly due to electrocution, falling of trees and collapse of roofs or walls.
- Cyclone Thane kills 15 in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry (Third Lead) - Dec 30, 2011
- Cyclone Thane toll now 46, life limps back to normalcy (Lead) - Dec 31, 2011
- Life limping back after Cyclone Thane's destruction - Dec 31, 2011
- Cyclone Thane kills 33 in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry (Fourth Lead) - Dec 30, 2011
- Jayalalithaa orders Rs.150 crore for cyclone relief - Dec 30, 2011
- Cyclone Thane kills 33 in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry; spares Andhra (Roundup) - Dec 30, 2011
- Karunanidhi to visit cyclone-hit areas Wednesday - Jan 03, 2012
- Jayalalithaa visits cyclone-hit Cuddalore - Jan 04, 2012
- Cyclone Thane kills five in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry (Second Lead) - Dec 30, 2011
- Cyclone Thane makes landfall in Tamil Nadu (Lead) - Dec 30, 2011
- Andhra on alert as cyclone 'Thane' threatens coast (Lead) - Dec 27, 2011
- Rs.700 crore relief more for cyclone damage: Jayalalithaa - Jan 03, 2012
- Cyclone Thane to cross near Cuddalore, Puducherry - Dec 30, 2011
- One killed, 175 injured as tornado hits Tripura - May 01, 2012
- Centre urged to help develop cyclone hit areas - Jan 10, 2012
Tags: administration official, chief minister, collapse, cyclone, district administration, electric poles, j jayalalithaa, kerala, kmph, m karunanidhi, party animals, power supply, power water, revellers, sizeable crowd, south india, street lamp posts, tankers, thane, water supply