Cuddalore: Major roads blocked by uprooted trees and debris dumped by cyclone Thane in Cuddalore district and Puducherry were cleared for traffic on Sunday as relief operations intensified to restore power to the affected areas where the toll has gone up to 47.
With reports of five more deaths coming from remote areas, the toll in Cuddalore has gone up to 31 including ten women and two children, District Collector V Amudhavalli said.
The severe cyclonic storm has claimed 40 lives in Tamil Nadu. Besides Cuddalore, deaths have been reported from Villupuram, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chennai and Theni. Seven people died in Puducherry.
The cyclone has resulted in extensive damage with the loss being estimated at over Rs 2,000 crore.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram who was slated to tour the cyclone-hit areas today cancelled his visit due to inclement weather and will now inspect the areas on Tuesday, Union Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy said.
It was a forgettable new year dawn for the people as more than 18,000 in Cuddalore district and scores in Puducherry continued to be sheltered in government buildings, including schools, and marriage halls where they were being provided food and other essential items.
Officials said 90 per cent of affected roads in Cuddalore district had been cleared for traffic, adding 20,000 litres of petrol have been despatched from Nagapattinam.
Supply of essential items such as milk and fuel, including kerosene, would normalised within two days while water and power would be restored within a week, they said.
A report from Puducherry said the union territory was limping back to normalcy though drinking water and power supply was not fully restored in most places and the work on removing uprooted trees was underway.
Availability of milk continued to be affected but petrol supply has become normal.
An average 60,000 food packets prepared at central kitchens was being distributed daily to the people hit by the cyclone, officials said.
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