Cyclone Gaja: Central team to begin damage evaluation from Saturday

On Sunday too, the team will continue assessment in other districts and on Monday afternoon, it will have a wrap-up meeting with Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan before leaving for New Delhi.

Published: 24th November 2018 01:28 AM  |   Last Updated: 24th November 2018 08:24 AM   |  A+A A-

A family checking the remains of their coconut trees that were entirely levelled by cyclone Gaja at Ambalapattu in Thanjavur, on Wednesday | MK Ashok Kumar

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A Central team, led by Daniel E Richard, Joint Secretary for Union Home Affairs, which is scheduled to begin an assessment of damage caused by Cyclone Gaja in 12 districts from Saturday, arrived here on Friday night. The seven-member team will have detailed discussions with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday morning and then leave for Tiruchy.  

From there, the team will inspect the affected areas in Pudukottai district. On Sunday too, the team will continue assessment in other districts and on Monday afternoon, it will have a wrap-up meeting with Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan before leaving for New Delhi.

The other members of the central team are: RB Kaul, Consultant, Union Ministry of Finance, BK Srivastava, Director in charge, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Hyderabad, Manik Chandra Pandit, Deputy Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development, Vandana Singhal, Chief Engineer, Union Ministry of Power, J Harsha, Director, Union Ministry of Water Resources, Chennai and R Ellavarasan, Superintending Engineer, Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Chennai.

Three-day visit
The seven-member team will begin the visit with a detailed discussion with the Chief Minister. After visiting different districts affected by the cyclone, the team will meet the Chief Secretary on Monday before leaving for Delhi.