12 dead as storm leaves a trail of destruction

Bengaluru/Panaji/Thiruvananthapuram A day after cyclone Tauktae crossed the coastal areas of Karnataka and Goa, many places in the two states witnessed power and internet connectivity issues on Monday even as some areas remained inaccessible due to trees blocking highways

Bengaluru/Panaji/Thiruvananthapuram A day after cyclone Tauktae crossed the coastal areas of Karnataka and Goa, many places in the two states witnessed power and internet connectivity issues on Monday even as some areas remained inaccessible due to trees blocking highways.

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Officials in the disaster management department of the two state governments said that the assessment of the damage caused by the gusty winds of 120-140kmph could be done in a few days after the relief and rescue work is completed.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant tweeted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called and assured him of the central government’s assistance to the state in its recovery efforts.

“Hon’ble Prime Minster @narendramodi ji personally called to enquire about the impact of cyclone Tauktae on the state of Goa. He has assured all possible assistance from the Central Government,” Sawant tweeted.

In Karnataka, heavy rains and and gusty winds continued to lash the coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada. Loss of life and property was reported from three districts in the Malnad region -- Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Shivamogga -- which received relentless rain in the past two days.

Officials said at least six people died due to the cyclone and its impact and 333 homes were damaged. The number of talukas or administrative units impacted has risen to 121 of the total 178 in the state.

Around 57km of roads have been damaged and 547 persons have been evacuated so far, according to data from the state disaster management authorities. Around 104 boats have also been damaged along with 57 fishing nets, authorities said, adding road connectivity in several areas has been badly impacted. The officials also said that efforts were being made to restore power connections in areas where power lines were down.

On Monday, all nine crew members of Tug Coromandel, a boat that was stranded at sea for over 24 hours, were rescued on Monday by naval forces flying an advanced light helicopter, according to Karnataka disaster management authorities. Five of the stranded crew members were rescued by boat, the officials said.

The Goa chief minister held a meeting with top officials in the state to coordinate efforts to ensure the restoration of power and water supply as well as clearing roads blocked by debris or fallen trees.

“[I have] issued directions to all the state government departments to work on war footing to restore essential services and also assess the damage in detail,” Sawant said.

Sawant also spoke to Union home minister Amit Shah who he said “inquired about the widespread damage caused by the cyclone in the state and assured full support of all central agencies to the state for returning to normalcy.”

The cyclone claimed two lives in Goa and injured three others while causing damage to scores of houses, power and mobile connectivity infrastructure, which the chief minister said, would take at least two days to restore.

“People in Goa have been facing mobile network issues due to the disruption caused by Tauktae cyclone. Intra-Circle Roaming (ICR) facility has now been activated across Goa. You can switch over to any network which is available in your area through the manual settings of your device,” Sawant said.

Kerala, which was the first Indian state to see the impact of the cyclone, high tides and winds continued to batter several coastal areas, two days after Tauktae moved upwards. According to officials, four persons died in two days and more than 5,000 people are still lining in relief camps after their dwellings were damaged.

Some of the areas in north Kerala like Vadakara received more than 200mm rainfall in 24 hours but later it subsided a bit. The India Meteorological Department has sounded a yellow alert in all districts other than Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Wayanad on Monday. Reeling under the impact of Covid-19, fishermen were asked not to venture into the sea for two more days.

In Thiruvananthapuram 23 houses were completely destroyed and 50 suffered partial damage. In Kochi’s Chellanam, where gushing seawater came at least 100 metres inside, more than 100 houses were damaged. “Due to preparations, the human toll was limited this time but it left a trail of destruction throughout the state. Officials are surveying the affected areas to calculate damage,” said a senior revenue official. Besides houses, roads, power lines and other infrastructure were also damaged during the cyclonic storm.

The cyclone comes as a double whammy to the western coastal states which continue to reel under the grip of the pandemic that has now started showing signs of a surge in rural areas, including those impacted by the cyclone. The cyclone has thrown life out of gear in these districts, which has impacted Covid-appropriate behaviour, according to multiple persons aware of the developments.

Thousands of persons from coastal districts, who were shifted to safer locations in the wake of the cyclone, were sent back to their homes as cyclonic winds receded. However, heavy rains in some parts of Karnataka and Goa caused flooding, officials said.