Karunanidhi to visit cyclone-hit areas tomorrow

Chennai: DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi on Wednesday, will tour the state's districts devastated by Cyclone Thane, the party said Monday.

Former party legislator T. Velmurugan has, meanwhile, demanded the army to be called in to carry out for relief and rehabilitation.

In a statement issued here, the DMK said Karunanidhi will visit the Cuddalore, Thiruvarur and Villupuram districts that were affected by Cyclone Thane that crossed the Tamil Nadu coast Friday.

The statement has also called upon party cadres to visit the affected areas and help the people.

Meanwhile Velmurugan, who earlier represented Panruti constituency in Cuddalore district, said only the army can carry out the relief and restoration operations.

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"Around 2.5 million people in the Cuddalore district have not been getting basic necessities like drinking water and milk for the past four days. The government is focused on clearing the main roads but has not looked at other areas. All the electric poles have been uprooted in the district and it needs army personnel to carry out the restoration work at the earliest," Velmurugan told IANS.

He said it is going to be a difficult task for many cashew and jackfruit farmers as all the trees have been uprooted by Cyclone Thane that packed a speed of around 140 kmph when it crossed the Cuddalore coast Friday morning.

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"Nearly 50,000 acres of cashew farms has been uprooted by the cyclone. It takes at least 15 years for a cashew tree to grow and bear the fruit. Similarly jackfruit trees take more than a decade to grow and bear fruit," Velmurugan said.

According to him, almost all the trees have been uprooted and it will be difficult for the farmers even to realise some decent money selling the wood as it prices will now fall and it is going to be a distress sale for them.

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Apart from cashew and jackfruit trees, teak trees, casurina and other trees have been felled by the cyclone.