Parts of coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is expected to get widespread rainfall from Thursday as Cyclone Gaja comes closer to the Tamil Nadu coast. The cyclone is likely to cross the coast between Cuddalore and Pamban in Ramanathapuram district on Thursday evening, with a wind speed of 80-90 km per hour, and gusting up to 100 km per hour, according to the Met Department.
Here are the live updates:
1,500 boats moved to safety
Fishing boats being moved from Palk Bay to Gulf of Mannar in Pamban on Wednesday for safe anchoring. | Photo Credit: L. Balachandar
With cyclone Gaja expected to unleash gale winds with speeds of up to 100 km per hour while making landfall on Thursday, about 1,500 mechanised and country boats anchored in the Palk Bay have been moved to the Gulf of Mannar.
Following the Meteorological Department’s warning, the Fisheries Department, as part of its precautionary measures, has assisted fishermen in moving about 500 mechanised boats and 1,000 country boats.
The boats, anchored in the Palk Bay, north of Pamban and Mandapam, have been moved to the Gulf of Mannar in the south side, which is considered safer for the boats due to the presence of the islands that constitute the biosphere.
NDRF conducts reccee in Puducherry
Confidence booster: The NDRF personnel conducting a recce of Jayaram Garden, a low-lying area in Karuvadikuppam, on the East Coast Road on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: T_Singaravelou
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Wednesday conducted a recce of the low-lying areas in Puducherry.
A 25-member team from the NDRF fourth battalion, led by Commander Avinesh Kumar Amar, arrived in Puducherry on Tuesday to assist the district administration in relief work.
Another team led by a commander was rushed to Karaikal.
The team is equipped with necessary rescue equipment, including life jackets, inflatable boats and cutting gadgets and medical kits.
The NDRF had a series of meetings with the senior officials of the Revenue Department on identifying vulnerable areas.
Helpline: People can contact 1070, 1077 and 0413-2253407 at the Collectorate.
Anna University postpones examinations
The Controller of Examination, Anna University, has announced that examinations scheduled on Thursday (15-11-2018) for the affiliated colleges of the university, Chennai, have been postponed. The new date will be announced later.
Pondicherry University too, has postponed examinations at its affiliated colleges.
The local administrations in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Tiruvarur, Puducherry and Karaikal have declared holidays for schools and colleges. In Cuddalore district, schools alone have been asked to be closed.
IMD forecast
S.Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Chennai, said on Wednesday that parts of seven districts — Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Karaikal, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram — are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall. There is a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall, above 20 cm, in one or two places in these districts.
Other parts of the State too will receive rain till Saturday. “The degree of rainfall intensity may vary depending on the distance from landfall region. But, this system will provide the much-needed break from the dry spell over parts of the State,” he said.
On prospects of rain in Chennai, he said the city too will get moderate rainfall from Thursday to Saturday due to moisture incursion.