RAMESWARAM
At least 100 anchored boats were damaged in the heavy winds that lasted for about an hour late on Sunday night in the coastal stretches of Pamban, Rameswaram and Thangachimadam, fisheries department officials said on Monday.
Following the forecast that a cyclonic storm 'Amphan' had centred over the same region at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday, the cyclone warning signal two was hoisted by officials here.
The IMD bulletin had said that the storm was 1040 km south of Paradip (Odisha) and 1200 km south-south west of Digha (West Bengal) and 1,300 km south-south west of Khepupura (Bangladesh).
While anticipating heavy winds in this region, fishermen were advised to stay off from venturing into the sea here and in Thoothukudi stretch.
The storm, which turned into a super cyclone since late Sunday night, had very little impact on the coastal side of Tamil Nadu, a State government official in Chennai stated in a press release. The winds, accompanied by showers, were experienced till Monday forenoon in many parts.
Fishermen association leaders in Rameswaram said that with COVID-19 pandemic, the fishers were indoors since March 20. With the government announcing certain relaxation in the curfew norms beginning May 18, when things appeared to be sunny, the storm had damaged most of the anchored boats here.
With the fishing ban period in vogue due to annual fish production time, when a majority of fishermen were off sea and indoors, they may require huge funds to repair the damaged boats, Rayappan, a fishermen leader urged the State government to provide funds for repair and upkeep.
A highways official in Ramanathapuram said the Sunday night winds had uprooted many trees that had fallen in the middle of the roads in at least a dozen locations.
As a result, power shutdown was effected as a precautionary measure. Work to re-install the poles back in its place was under way on a war-footing speed, TANGEDCO engineers at the site said.