Cyclone 'Ditwah' closes in towards TN coast, CM Stalin reviews preparedness
Chennai (PTI): Cyclone Ditwah was slowly moving closer towards the Tamil Nadu coast and it was likely to bring heavy rainfall, the weather office said on Friday, as the state government reviewed its preparedness to face the second such weather system in a month.
The weather office forecast heavy rains in the southern and Cauvery delta districts of the state, between November 29 and 30.
The name, 'Ditwah', referring to a lagoon, was suggested by Yemen. It is likely named after Detwah Lagoon, a large, saline lagoon on the northwest coast of the island of Socotra in Yemen.
Meanwhile, in view of the adverse weather conditions, noted airliner IndiGo has cancelled several flights operating to and from Jaffna, Puducherry, Tuticorin, and Tiruchirappalli on November 29 (Saturday).
In a social media post on Friday, IndiGo appealed to passengers to check flight status before leaving for the airport.
In a bulletin issued on Friday evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclonic storm 'Ditwah' over Sri Lanka coast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved slowly northwards with a speed of 7 kmph during the past 6 hours and lay centred at the same region at 5.30 pm on Friday.
It is located about 270 km south-southeast of Karaikal, 380 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 490 km south-southeast of Chennai, the bulletin said.
Late last month, Cyclone Montha had brought heavy rains in the northern districts of the state.
Chief Minister M K Stalin reviewed the situation.
At the state emergency operations centre, he said, "a red alert (extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours) has been issued for the southern and delta districts."
"I held a video conference with the collectors of the districts where red alerts have been sounded. Already, a meeting of higher officials was convened with senior officials yesterday (Thursday) to issue detailed instructions," he said.
The CM said his government has deployed senior officials in vulnerable districts, and all of them have already reached their assigned areas.
Briefing reporters after taking stock of the situation at the Centre, he said, "I have directed them to remain on high alert, especially in locations badly hit (in the past). They have been instructed to constantly monitor and take steps to prevent any disruption, including snapping of powerlines."
As per the bulletin by the weather office, the cyclone is "very likely to move north-northwestwards across Sri Lanka coast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and reach over southwest Bay of Bengal near north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of November 30."
Instructing the departments to work in 'tandem', Stalin ordered the officials to keep stock of essential items, including food, milk and necessary action should be taken to clear floodwater in residential areas.
He noted that 16 state disaster response forces and 12 NDRF teams have been deployed in districts expecting heavy rainfall.
Asked if Chennai would be impacted, Stalin replied that the city is expected to receive heavy rainfall. "They (Meteorological department) warned of heavy rain in Chennai as well."
Detailing the measures taken by the government, he said, "Camps have been readied with food and essential supplies. Orders have also been issued for the immediate evacuation of people from low-lying areas."
To another query, he said, "Ministers in charge have reached the districts and are continuously monitoring the situation. "
Meanwhile, airport sources said flight services operated by IndiGo on various routes in the domestic sector have been impacted due to the cyclone. In a social media post on Friday evening, IndiGo said, "Due to the prevailing cyclonic conditions and heavy rainfall associated with Cyclone Ditwah, flights to and from Jaffna, Puducherry, Tuticorin and Trichy may experience disruptions."
If their flight is impacted, passengers can easily explore alternative travel options or claim a refund, the airline said.
On the measures taken by the health department in view of the Cyclone, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said the health department has been instructed to ensure medical teams are available round the clock in all government hospitals, in view of the heavy rainfall forecast.
"Steps have also been taken to ensure uninterrupted power supply in all hospitals in view of the heavy rainfall", he told reporters.
In its warning to fishermen, the weather office said rough to very rough sea conditions are prevailing. "It is likely to become very rough to high sea conditions till November 30. From December 1, it is likely to improve gradually," it said.
The Southern Railway said in view of wind velocity on Pamban Bridge recording 58 kmph, it cancelled the Rameswaram-Okha Express to be operated on Friday night.
The origin of as many as 11 trains operated in the Rameswaram-Chennai sector has been changed to Mandapam, Ramanathapuram, Ucchippuli due to cyclone over the next two days, Southern Railway said.
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Junior Hockey World Cup: IndiGo crisis disrupts travel plans of players' families, fans
Chennai (PTI): For Kate, the dream was simple -- to watch her son Fahy Noah play for the Australian team in the Junior Hockey World Cup here and visit the Taj Mahal.
But her plans, like those of many others, have been upended by the operational crisis that has hit IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline.
"I am here for the first time and India is so kind and welcoming. We were hoping to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are a bit scared now," Kate, who has come from Brisbane, told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here.
"One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. I think we will have to cancel all our travel plans now, though seeing the Taj Mahal was on my bucket list for long," she said.
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This is the first time that 24 teams are participating in the Junior Hockey World Cup, being held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. For most players and their families, it is their maiden trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to support the Indian team.
However, the widespread flight delays and cancellations have thrown schedules into chaos. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. This resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports across the country.
Laura, who has come from Belgium with her entire family to support her son, said they are now travelling by road.
"We are happy to be here in this beautiful country. We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are planning to go to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road," she said.
"We had taken IndiGo flights earlier, but some other families who travelled on different days got stuck and somehow managed to come back by train. So we are not flying anywhere in India now. Road travel only and then back to Brussels next week," she said.
For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian and a lifelong supporter of Indian hockey, the crisis was particularly distressing. He spent 12 gruelling hours at the Chandigarh airport on December 4 before finally reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.
"Our IndiGo flight was delayed by 12 hours. We were at the airport from 7 am to 7 pm. They kept giving excuses -- the aircraft has not arrived, the pilot is not available. We had no idea what was actually happening," he said.
Accompanying Sohal was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, a former treasurer of the English Hockey Association, who had flown in from London.
"It was a horrible experience. They kept changing the timings from 12 noon to 4 pm and we finally took off at 7:20 pm. They gave us sandwiches which were not even good," Mandair recalled.
"Our return flight is also on IndiGo, but now we are exploring other options," he said.
Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, who was on the same flight, said his excitement has turned into anxiety.
"We were so excited about this trip; hockey is our first love. But this (IndiGo crisis) spoiled our mood. Now we are worried about returning because at our age, we cannot travel long distances by train or road," he said.
Jason, the father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, has had an eventful trip to India so far -- beginning with the rain in Chennai triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
"We are from Hobart -- home of Ricky Ponting and David Boon. We arrived after a cyclone, which caused heavy rain. Now the sun is out and we are enjoying ourselves," he said with a smile.
Jason, too, has shelved all further travel plans.
"No sightseeing now. We will just eat, swim and head back. I am loving masala dosa, masala tea and curries," he said.
Some fans from Bengaluru, who had booked their flight tickets months in advance, decided not to take a risk. They opted for refunds and drove down to Chennai on Sunday to catch the semifinal.
"With flight uncertainty and trains full, we drove down. We did not want to miss India in the semis," said Vinod Chinnappa, who drove for six hours to come here.
Even officials have not been spared by the flight disruptions.
Digvijay Singh, an official of the Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours at the Patna airport to catch a flight to Chennai.
"I did not want to miss the India-Belgium quarterfinal, so I waited. I finished all episodes of (web series) Family Man at the lounge," he said.
"I had gone to Patna from Delhi for a meeting earlier in the day and then needed to connect to Chennai," Singh said.
With the World Cup set to wrap up in two days, uncertainty about people's plans to return home looms large.
With prices of alternative flights rising and train seats nearly impossible to find, fans, officials, families and journalists are monitoring travel apps as closely as match updates.
If the situation does not improve soon, returning home could be as challenging as winning matches on the field.
