Cyclone Fengal Landfall LIVE: Intermittent rains continued on Friday in the state's Cauvery delta areas affecting standing paddy crops, and the India Meteorological Department said cyclonic storm will form soon and later weaken and reach the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts as a deep depression by November 30 morning.
Crops were submerged partially and completely at several places, including those in and around Tiruvarur, Thiruthuraipoondi, Muthupettai, Mayiladuthurai, and Vedaranyam, and according to farmers' rough estimates, crops on at least 2,000 acres were affected.
Also, huge acreage of salt pans in the districts of Nagapattinam (Vedaranyam) and Villupuram (Marakkanman) came under water.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed shock over reports that 1,500 acres of paddy crop have been affected in Thiruthuraipoondi (Tiruvarur district) and demanded that officials inspect rain-hit areas and urged the DMK regime to provide appropriate relief to farmers.
Farmers leader P R Pandian alleged that canals and rivers were not properly desilted in the delta areas.
The IMD said the deep depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved slowly north-northwestwards with a speed of 3 kmph. It is 320 km southeast of Nagappattinam, 420 km southeast of Puducherry and 500 km south-southeast of Chennai. (PTI)