Cyclone Gaja: Tamil Nadu asks private employers in some districts to consider shuttering early

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Government has asked private employers in the state to consider closing business—in select districts—for the day by 4 pm on Thursday in view of the approaching cyclone Gaja.

Currently moving in at 17 kmph towards Tamil Nadu, Gaja is expected to make landfall at Nagapattinam district between 8 pm and 11 pm on Thursday. Winds to the speed of over 80 kmph are likely to accompany the cyclone.

According to the latest update an hour back, cyclone Gaja was speeding towards the coast from a point 280 kilometere South-East of Chennai and 240 kilometre North-East of Nagapattinam. Its reach is expected to be felt in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, and Ramanathapuram.


"Already government run schools and colleges in seven districts in the line of the cyclone have announced that today will be a holiday. Now, we have requested private employers, too, to send employees home by 4 p.m.," said Disaster Management Minister RB Udhayakumar told reporters today.

Senior IAS officers such as Gagandeep Singh Bedi-- who has been posted in Cuddalore district-- have been deployed across the seven districts to parlay their experience in disaster relief to help mitigate impact today. "There will be power cuts in areas where there could be some impact; there will be mobile medical aids, and senior IAS officers knwon for their work in disaster relief have been deployed in some areas," said Udhayakumar.

The cyclone is expected to cause rainfall in certain places and have an advent accompanied by strong gusts of nerly 80 kmph. The state administration had been preparation for several days ahead of the cyclone. Relief camps have been arranged and disaster mitigation personnel have been stationed in vulnerable areas to enable transport to relief camps.