Church relief for thousands affected by Cyclone Thane

Cyclone Thane has affected tens of thousands of villagers in Puducherry, Cuddalore and neighbouring districts in Tamil Nadu.

Church-based relief groups are working towards relief and restoration after the heavy rainfall caused by winds uprooted trees and left a trail of destruction.

The cyclone hit the coast of Tamil Nadu on Friday, making landfall between Puducherry and Cuddalore

"Staff of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UELCI) along with the member churches staff are closely monitoring the cyclonic storm situation in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh area," said ACT Alliance.

ACT Alliance is a global alliance of churches and related organisations focusing on development and humanitarian assistance.

ACT said UELCI is in communication with its members in India among them the Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) and Lutheran World Service India Trust (LWSIT) to respond through the ACT Rapid Response Fund (RRF) mechanism or to issue an ACT appeal.

Close to 50 have been reported killed, caused by wall collapses, electrocution, drowning and severe cold. About 20,000 people have camped in relief camps in Cuddalore district.

"We've started assessing what the needs are in the aftermath of this severe cyclone," said Amar Jyoti Nayak, regional manager for ActionAid India in Tamil Nadu.

"People need dry food rations, clothes, clean water as basic relief ... many also need support to rebuild their homes which have been completely destroyed by Thane," Nayak told AlertNet
According to District Collector Amuthavalli, over 5000 houses of fishermen were damaged as a result of the cyclone.

The cyclone has resulted in extensive damage with the loss being estimated at over Rs 2,000 crore.

Some 250 coastal villages inhabited by fishermen had been put on high alert. Cuddalore, Tiruvallur and Villupuram districts along Tamil Nadu's northern coast and Puducherry were the worst hit.

Tamil Nadu Rural Industries Minister M C Sampath, who is supervising the relief operations, said it would take another week for return of normalcy in the entire district.

Electricity would be restored in Cuddalore and Nellikuppam municipalities today followed by Panruti, Chidambaram and Vridhachalam in a couple of days, Sampath told PTI

In a statement, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said a sum of Rs 700 crore has been allotted towards relief (for loss of houses, crops, cattle, boats) and restoration of infrastructure (power lines, roads, drinking water distribution) damaged by the deadly cyclone.

"This is in addition to the Rs 150 crore announced on the day of cyclone," she said.

The government has announced Rs 10,000 as emergency relief for families of those killed and Rs one lakh for fully damaged houses.