In cyclone's wake, words of appreciation for TN Government from opposition parties

CHENNAI: Principal Opposition party DMK's President MK Stalin and new entrant Kamal Haasan––who have been stridently critical of several moves of the AIADMK Government––had words of praise for disaster management ahead of, and during, the passage 'severe cyclone' Gaja through Tamil Nadu.

Gaja left over 20 people dead, uprooted electric poles, brought down walls and damaged crops in the Cauvery Delta region. Districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Ramanathapuram were impacted by the Severe Cyclone that had its onset well past Thursday's midnight and rammed across land through the early hours on Friday.

The Tamil Nadu Government and the Centre had received flak for the tardy rehabilitation and relief efforts during the Ockhi cyclone that impacted southern districts in late November 2017. In a debate in Parliament, Congress leader Malliakarjun Kharge questioned why the number of NDRF teams sent to Gujarat was higher compared to those sent to Kerala and Tamil Nadu when the southern states bore the brunt of the “very severe cyclone.”


Weather warnings for Gaja were forecast every half hour and announcements about the track of the cyclone were forecast across the state: city corporations in the six districts deployed autorickshaws carrying amplifiers that sent out details of impact of the cyclone on the streets, especially in the Nagapattinam district.

Leader of Opposition MK Stalin said: “The way the Tamil Nadu disaster management board undertook preemptive steps to mitigate impact is appreciable. I urge those in authority to aid the board to continue their good work,” while Kamal Haasan said: “Learning from the bitter experiences of the past, thanks are due to the Tamil Nadu government for efficiently taking steps ahead of the cyclone.”

The Tamil Nadu Government, in a release, said chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had spoken to Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the trail of destruction from ‘Gaja’ and the relief effort undertaken by the state Government.