'Ditwah' weakens to deep depression; 330 dead in Sri Lanka
Cyclone "Ditwah," which weakened into a deep depression, has wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu, killing three people and damaging several properties. The deceased include two who died due to wall collapses in Tuticorin and Thanjavur, and one who died of electrocution in Mayiladuthurai, The Times of India reported. Extensive damage to infrastructure was also reported, with 234 huts and houses damaged across the state. Its impact was calamitous in Sri Lanka, where over 330 people have died.
Cyclone 'Ditwah' causes widespread damage to crops
In Tamil Nadu, the storm caused massive crop loss over 56,000 hectares of farmland. This includes 24,000 acres in Nagapattinam, 15,000 acres in Tiruvarur, and 8,000 acres in Thanjavur. Tamil Nadu's Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said that "once water recedes," the extent of damage will be assessed. Farmers' associations in the Cauvery delta have urged the central government to declare this disaster a national calamity.
IMD downgrades storm
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclone "Ditwah" weakened into a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal on Sunday, and is expected to further downgrade into a depression by Monday noon. However, heavy to very heavy rain is still expected in the isolated areas of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Vellore, and Ranipet districts. Light to moderate rain is expected in a few places across Tamil Nadu and the Puducherry and Karaikal region.
Relief efforts underway in Tamil Nadu
In the wake of the weather system, Tamil Nadu has set up 38 relief camps across vulnerable districts. These camps are housing 2,391 people and include nine in Pudukkottai, two each in Mayiladuthurai and Ramanathapuram, four in Tiruvarur, two in Thanjavur, 10 in Nagapattinam, one each in Ranipet and Chengalpattu, and seven camps have been set up in Viluppuram.