Tamil Nadu: Relief measures in Cyclone Fengal-hit areas continue

A plethora relief measures have been taken up in Villupuram, Cuddalore and Kallakurichi districts that were hit by Cyclone Fengal with the deployment of senior IAS officers to oversee the wide range of operations that include setting up camps to accommodate those evacuated from low-lying and flooded areas, distribution of food and water and organizing medical camps.On the instructions of the Chief Minister M K Stalin, State Ministers and monitoring officers were overseeing the rebuilding and relief work that were being carried out on a war footing to bring quick succour to the affected people, an official press release said here on Wednesday.Many of the affected people had been accommodated in the relief camps – 76 of them housing 4906 persons in Villupuram district, 35 in Cuddalore district accommodating 19,654 persons and 16 camps in Kallakurichi district with 612 families comprising 831 men, 943 women n 206 children – and arrangement had been made to provide drinking water and food to them.Medical camps had been arranged for the victims of the monsoon fury with 7,512 persons undergoing health check ups in the various rain-hit villages of Kallakurichi district and receiving medical assistance in the three days since December 1. For those in the 16 relief camps of the district, 3809 food packets, 6220 milk packets, sufficient drinking water and other essential articles were provided.The quick response of the district administration to the crisis ensured that they were no loss of life in the district that saw 461 titled houses and 113 huts damaged an 19 cows, 76 calves and 54 goats perishing, the release said, adding the government had given away compensation worth Rs 37,04,000, besides supplying provisions like rice, dhal and groceries to the victims.State PWD Minister E V Velu had been assigned to over the relief work in the district that had received 9.7 cm of rain on Sunday and 17 cm on Monday besides a heavy inflow of water into River Thenpennai, the release said.In Villupuram district, where Forest Minister K Ponmdu, Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji and Transport Minister S S Sivasankar are overseeing the operations, 16,616 food packets were distributed for those in the camps and 27,432 packets of food were prepared in the five community kitchens set up to serve the affected persons.Relief material including 6500 kilogram of rice in 11,100 packets, 10500 packets of groceries, 2709 garments, 1320 blankets, 14517 biscuit packets, 1000 water bottles, 200 bottles of fruit juice, 100 mosquito repellent coils, 10 tarpaulin sheets, 820 bed sheets, 565 sanitary napkins, 700 milk powder packets, 1000 mats 1000 packets of dates, 1000 milkshake sachets, bread, matches 1000 bars of soap and 2000 toothpaste tubes were distributed to the affected people.Cuddalore district, where Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam and Labour Minister C V Ganesan oversaw the relief work, 68,350 food packets were supplied in the relief camp and 15 community kitchens served another 20,300 packets. Besides the 10,871 milk packets that were distributed, the district received 3,000 litres of milk from other districts.