The Cyclone Relief Programme at Cuddalore District

Result: Two thousand families restored their normal life including two thousand pupils.
Project period: 01.01.2012 to 31.03.2012

The cyclone named 'Thane' with wind speeds of 125 km/hr hit Cuddalore, Villupuram, Nagapattinam districts along with other districts of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Union Territory on 29th and 30th December 2011 causing severe damages.

Impact Details
  • Housing: 365,882 houses damaged; 73,292 completely destroyed huts, 196,385 partly damaged huts, 96,205 partly damaged semi-pucca houses.
  • Loss of Livelihood & Employment: Major livelihood means like cashew, coconut, sugarcane, casuarina, agriculture and fishing were destroyed; approx. 8 lakh hectares of crops lost; 90% of biomass destroyed.
  • Electricity & Communication: Supply system fully damaged, 27 high voltage towers, 147 transformers, 4,500 distribution lines, 3,600 electricity poles and 350 km of power lines damaged.
  • Drinking Water & Sanitation: Water supply paralyzed due to electricity failure; water logging posed health risks.
  • Debris: Streets and roads filled with uprooted trees, garbage, and debris.
  • Loss of Educational Aids: Textbooks, notebooks, school bags, uniforms, and writing materials damaged.
  • Environmental Impact: 90% of forest cover in Cuddalore destroyed.
Cyclone Damage Cyclone Damage
RUC Intervention

RUC selected 2,000 families in collaboration with Rural Education & Development Centre (Vandurayanpet, Bhuvanagiri, Cuddalore) and provided temporary roof material (tarpaulin 120 gsm – 21x18 sq.ft), two lungies, one saree, two bed sheets, 1 kg milk powder, mosquito net, and one candle to the beneficiaries.

SI No Name of the Village Name of Panchayat / Municipality No. of Beneficiaries
1S.R. Colony, CuddaloreCuddalore27
2PuthukuppamCuddalore48
3AndarmullipallamCuddalore400
4AmmeriAmmeri291
5MiraloorMiraloor165
6KathazhaiKathazhai83
7PinnaloorPinnaloor174
8ManchakollaiManchakollai101
9ValaiyamadeviValaiyamadevi72
10AzhichikudiAllizhikudi353
11VatharayanthattuVatharayanthattu78
12AmbalpuramAmbalpuram97
13UluthoorUluthoor39
14NellikollaiNellikollai72
Total 2000

RUC provided: Five notebooks, geometry box, and school bag each to 2,000 school-going children who lost their educational materials in the affected villages.

Education Materials Education Materials
Results of Direct Implementation
  • 2000 families restored their normal life from the trauma and damages caused by the cyclone.
  • 2000 students are able to continue their studies without difficulties and prevented from dropout.