Cyclone Ditwah Red Alert! IMD predicts heavy rainfall warning in these districts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry

The India Meteorological Department on Saturday issued a red alert in parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as Cyclone Ditwah approaches the coast. IMD further warned of heavy rainfall at isolated spots, likely over Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villuppuram, Chengalpattu districts, and the Puducherry-Karaikal region.

Strong winds and rainfall have already hit the coastal areas of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.

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As reported by ANI, on preparations related to Cyclone Ditwah, Joint Collector of Nellore, Mogili Venkateswarlu said, “...Most areas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were affected by this cyclone, but in Nellore district, only moderate rains occurred today. All district-level staff have been alerted, and various departments have taken precautionary measures. Guidance has been issued to district-level officers, and all departments are ensuring necessary precautions.…”

In Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district, heavy rainfall has caused excess water from the city and nearby areas to drain toward the Port Trust coastline and merge with the sea, which has been unusually rough.

Strong sea activity has pushed large amounts of marine algae and other seabed vegetation ashore. The district administration has urged residents to remain cautious amid the heavy rain and turbulent sea conditions and to avoid coastal areas unless necessary.

IMD has stated that Cyclone Ditwah is likely to move North-Northwest (NNW) and will approach the North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and South Andhra Pradesh coasts by tomorrow.

The cyclone will come within 25 km of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has set up 6000 camps all over the state, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran said on Saturday.

"We have placed as many camps for people to stay in the cyclone-affected areas. As of now, we have set up 6000 camps all over Tamil Nadu, but people have come in very small numbers... Rain (clouds) is now moving from Ramanathapuram district towards the coastal districts, and there is not much impact due to the rain," KKSSR Ramachandran said.

The Minister further informed that rainwater has affected the paddy cultivation in the delta districts of the Cauvery River. The Minister said that the government will also provide compensation to farmers.

"In the Delta Districts, paddy cultivation is affected due to flooding from rainwater. We expect it to drain within 2 days, and once it does, we will calculate the loss and provide compensation to farmers," he said.

The Minister further informed that 28 teams of both NDRF and SDRF have been deployed to provide relief to civilians.

"We have 28 teams of both NDRF and SDRF deployed. We have asked an extra 10 teams. They are also coming through the flight now. We have also asked the Coast Guard for help if any disaster happens," he said.

Cyclone Ditwah, which is expected to make landfall in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Tomorrow evening, has killed 123 people in Sri Lanka with another 130 reported missing.

The extreme weather system has destroyed nearly 15,000 homes across the country, sending almost 44,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Saturday.

(With inputs from ANI)