Cyclone Gaja: It’s Left For Youngsters to Pick up the Pieces

I’m going back this weekend with more relief supplies.

It all started when the red alert was issued by the meteorological department a few weeks back. Many of us thought that Chennai would be the worst affected, but Cyclone Gaja shifted its course to the southern coastal belt of Tamil Nadu.

The storm had devastating effects and unfortunately, the national media hardly covered it. As the trend has been for the past few years, a lot of youngsters took it upon themselves to rehabilitate the towns and I was no exception.

Looking at the destruction, I promised myself that I would collect as much relief funds as possible from friends, colleagues and family and send it to Thiruthuraipoondi and Pattukkottai.

Videos began to circulate on social media and the destruction caused by the cyclone was pretty evident. Thatched roofs were blown away and thousands of people were homeless and livestock crippled. No one expected such severity.

I decided to work with a friend, when he received a call from his ancestral village, Thiruthuraipoondi, about how badly it was affected. The village is situated in the interiors, it was difficult for relief work to reach. We decided to cover about four villages in and around Thiruthuraipoondi. The power supply was cut, and due to waterlogging, the village became a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. All we could do was empathise at this point.

We purchased basic materials (rice, dal, biscuits, soaps, LED torches, Odomos, candles, matchsticks, salt, sugar, blankets, sanitary napkins and milk powder) in bulk and packed per family. One of my good friends Shibu Alexis also volunteered to source rice and blankets, which had to be distributed in Pattukkottai.

After having packed the relief materials the entire night, we loaded them in two cars and set out on road. After crossing Thanjavur, the signs of the destruction caused by cyclone was pretty evident. Hundreds of coconut trees had fallen and electric poles were grounded. People were gathered outside the relief camps waiting for some aid. Government officials from the electricity board had started their work on erecting the poles. Looking at the situation, I’m sure it will take days to restore electricity and bring back the village to normalcy.

The further we went, worse was the condition. Houses were drowned in water, roofs were displaced, animals were safely tied in the backyards next to the fallen trees and agricultural fields were flooded. It was heart-wrenching to see the livelihoods of thousands of farmers floating on the cyclone water. No matter how much relief materials we carried, it seemed little.

I would like to add that there is considerable amount of work being carried by private organisations and charitable trusts.

We have distributed relief materials to over 140 families. A lot of people took shelters in neighbouring schools and temples, where they were looked after for good two weeks.

Now most of these relief camps have run out of supplies, so they are closing down and the villagers have to return to their villages and re-build their homes where there is no power supply.

Having taken a note of their immediate requirements, we will be taking clean drinking water, tarpaulin sheets to cover their roofs, which were damaged by the cyclone, vegetables, candles and matchboxes, over this coming weekend.

I sincerely request each one of you to make your generous contributions and help rebuild the cities.

(The author is a Chartered Accountant by profession. She has travelled extensively across different terrains in India and outside. Social issues and volunteering for such causes have always been close to her heart.)