CM MK Stalin Offers Tamil Nadu Aid to Cyclone Ditwah Victims in Sri Lanka – 177 Tamils Rescued Amid 56 Deaths

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed deep condolences over Cyclone Ditwah's devastation in Sri Lanka, where floods and landslides have killed at least 56 people, left 21 missing, and displaced thousands since late November. With Colombo flooded and central highlands like Badulla hardest hit, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency Saturday, appealing for international aid. Stalin announced Tamil Nadu's readiness to provide food, medicine, and essentials via the Union government, directing Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena to form a coordination committee.​

India responded swiftly, dispatching relief supplies and two IAF helicopters for rescues, while Tamil Nadu's Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils evacuated 177 stranded residents (113 men, 60 women, 4 children) by 11:05 am Sunday. Additional evacuations continue as Sri Lanka's weather improves, with over 44,000 affected and 600+ homes damaged nationwide. Tamil Nadu's proximity heightens regional solidarity amid the cyclone's northwest track toward India's southeast coast.​

In Tamil Nadu, Cyclone Ditwah caused three rain-related deaths: two from wall collapses in Thoothukudi and Thanjavur, one youth electrocuted in Mayiladuthurai. Minister KKSSR Ramachandran reported 149 cattle deaths and damage to 234 houses/hutments, with 56,000 hectares of paddy fields inundated in delta districts—Nagapattinam (24,000 ha), Tiruvarur (15,000 ha), Mayiladuthurai (8,000 ha). Crop loss assessments await receding waters for CM Stalin's compensation decisions.​

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State preparedness includes 38 relief camps sheltering 2,393 people across Pudukottai, Mayiladuthurai, and others, plus 38 SDRF/NDRF teams deployed. Cuddalore, Villupuram, and Chennai saw moderate rains despite forecasts, with IMD bulletins pending. No landfall expected as the system weakens, but red/orange alerts persist for coastal districts.​

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