Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Saturday spoke to Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr. C Vijaya Baskar regarding the situation in the state caused due to cyclone Gaja and assured all possible help from the Centre.
Earlier in the day, S Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology (DDGM), India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the cyclone is expected to intensify further by Saturday evening and move further westwards.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E. Palaniswami regarding the situation in the state and assured all possible help on behalf of the Centre.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister confirmed that 11 people have lost their lives after the landfall of cyclone Gaja. He also announced that the government will provide Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh to those injured severely and Rs 25,000 to people who have suffered minor injuries.
Cyclone Gaja crossed Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam on Thursday evening and unleashed mayhem in several districts of the state including Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur.
Apart from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh were also impacted by the cyclonic storm which is likely to bring heavy downpour and strong winds to several parts of the region for the next couple of days.