Following the 14th assembly session, Kerala government has decided to donate Rs 10 crore as immediate relief to Tamil Nadu that is reeling from the aftermath of cyclone Gaja.
Apart from monetary relief, the state has dispatched 14 truckloads of relief material including clothes and other essentials to Tamil Nadu. Six teams of doctors have been sent to help victims in the affected areas and 72 officials of the Kerala State Electricity Board have also been dispatched to fix electricity, after several houses lost their power connection following the cyclone.
The government has also sent scores of volunteers to Tamil Nadu to help with the relief work. Apart from the 10 crore immediate relief, the government has also communicated to Tamil Nadu that more funds will be provided if required.
Cyclone Gaja which made landfall near Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu on November 16 wrecked havoc in parts of Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Nagapattinam and Thanjavur districts. According to government estimates, over 3.7 lakh people have been rendered homeless and over 3.4 lakh houses have been destroyed. The cyclone had claimed almost 63 lives until now. Many parts of the affected districts still remain inaccessible due to fallen trees and electrical poles. Between 60 - 80 percent of coconut trees in the region has fallen and farmers have witness massive losses to their crops.
The Tamil Nadu government has asked the centre for Rs 15,000 crores for relief restoration and rehabilitation of people post cyclone and Rs 1431 crore for immediate relief work.