Leader of the Opposition and DMK President MK Stalin has lauded the preparedness of the Tamil Nadu government in handling Cyclone Gaja, on Friday.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Tamil Nadu has once again been affected by the effects of Cyclone Gaja. The way in which the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority prepared for this, is laudable. Administrators must cooperate with its continuous actions. It is necessary for the government machinery to act at cyclone pace to remedy the effects of the cyclone."
The leader also urged the DMK cadre to work alongside government rescue efforts.
According to one report in The Hindu, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Su Thirunavukkarasar too appreciated the precautions taken by the state government, stating that relief should be provided after assessing the damage immediately.
Cyclone Gaja, the deep depression brewing in the Bay of Bengal hit coastal Tamil Nadu and made landfall in the wee hours of Friday morning.
Nagapattinam district was worst hit even as over 20 persons lost their lives as per unofficial reports. According to a statement by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation(TANGEDCO) 12,000 electric poles, 102 sub power stations, 495 power conductors, 100 transformers, 500 kilometer-long power lines had been damaged across seven districts.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of deceased. For those with major injuries, the Chief Minister's General Relief Fund will provide Rs 1 lakh as compensation while those with minor injuries will be given Rs 25,000.
As of Friday evening, the cyclone, which had moved into interior Tamil Nadu(Dindigul), moved further south-southwestwards over central Kerala. The depression now lays centred around 20 km east-northeast of Kochi.
Very heavy rainfall is expected over isolated places in south interior Tamil Nadu while heavy rainfall is predicted for North interior Tamil Nadu.