Chennai: The death toll in the severe cyclone Gaja that devastated several districts in Tamil Nadu two days ago has risen to 45.
It has also damaged 117,624 houses, Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami said on Sunday.
Opposition leaders have criticised what they claim is the government’s apathy in sending food, drinking water and relief materials to the cyclone-affected areas.
In Pudukottai district, people complained about not getting relief, protesting on the roads and setting fire to five government vehicles.
Speaking to reporters at Salem, about 350 kilometres from here, Palaniswami said 45 people have died in the cyclone and 735 livestock lost.
He added that 88,102 hectares of crop and 39,938 electricity poles have also been destroyed.
The central government has been asked to depute a team from the National Disaster Management Authority to assess the devastation.
Palaniswami said he would visit the affected areas on Tuesday.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M.K. Stalin in a letter to the party cadres wondered whether Palaniswami’s heart was made of iron as he appeared to be more interested with inaugurating projects rather than visiting the cyclone hit areas.
Stalin, who toured the areas, accused the government of failing to provide sufficient food, clothing and drinking water to the people taking refuge in relief centres.
He said that only if the government had dredged the canals and other water bodies, much of the damage could have been averted and several trees could have been saved. Coconut trees across 7,000 hectares in several districts have been damaged, he said.
Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss said it was a shame that the AIADMK government was not providing even food for the cyclone-affected, noting that various districts in the Cauvery delta region, like Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur had been severely affected.
