By Matters India Reporter
Chennai: At least three people were killed and nearly 1 million affected in the Nivar cyclonic storm that hit Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry in the southern India.
The Tamil Nadu government moved more than 227,000 vulnerable people to relief camps before the cyclone made the landfall on November 25 night at Marakkanam in Villupuram district.
Low pressure led to the formation of the tropical Nivar cyclone in the Bay of Bengal on November 22.
People in places such as Chennai, the Tamil Nadu capital, were stranded after rain water flooded their areas.
The administration stopped bus and the flight services ahead of the cyclone.
Murugappan, state coordinator of Social Awareness Society for Youths (SASY) who visited the affected areas with his team, says 80 percent of people in Marakkanam are Dalits who worked in salt-pan. “Their livelihood is badly hit as they are jobless,” he told Matters India November 27.
The Tamil Nadu on November 24 announced holiday as a safety measure. State Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami asked people to prepare to face the cyclone during November 25-27. The administration kept ready as many as 42,000 volunteers to help the people.
“People were alerted about the cyclone. In case of power cuts, we were ready with candles and torch lights. We also stocked snacks and edible items in case of emergency,” Vanitha from Kumbakonam told Matters India.
Murugappan said most affected people are Dalits, who work as daily wagers and agriculture laborers. Most lived in one-room thatched houses. The cyclonic storm blew away the roofs making the living condition worse, he added.
Many could not cook meals as their firewood got wet in the rain. They could not afford to buy packed drinking water.
Churches have accommodated people living in flood-prone low-lying areas.
Konankuppam shrine parish in Cuddalore district took precautionary methods at its substations in Kanniyankuppam and Pavazhangudi villages.
All of them are Dalit Christians.
Father Devasagayaraj Zackarias, rector of Konankuppam shrine, told Matters India that people experienced God’s protection as they took shelter in the church buildings.