CUDDALORE/TRICHY: Nagapattinam Cuddalore and Tiruvarur district administrations have made elaborate arrangements to face cyclone Gaja that is expected to make landfall between Cuddalore and Pamban on Thursday night.Alert has been issued along the coastal areas asking people residing in low-lying areas and in thatched houses to move to cyclone shelters Tiruvarur district collector L Nirmalraj asked people to utilise the shelters. The collector appealed to people to contact toll-free number 1077 or the landlines 04366-226040, 226050, 226080 and 226090 in the event of an emergency.The Cuddalore district administration launched an FM radio channel (107.8) to ensure uninterrupted dissemination of information on the cyclone if other communication tools fail.District collector V Anbuselvan instructed all officials not to take leave on Thursday and Friday. They should take up relief and rehabilitation measures swiftly. The officials have removed most of the banners and hoardings in the district by Thursday morning following a direction from the collector.The administration has kept 311 life buoys ready in various flood-prone and low-lying areas to rescue people in case of flooding. Cyclone warning signal number three was hoisted at the Cuddalore port. The sea remained rough on Thursday.The administration has kept 12 long range torch lights, 452 torch lights, 249 life jackets, 276 JCB machines, 196 generators, 219 saw machines, 93,100 sand bags and 9,846 casuarina logs ready to face any eventualities.It has stocked 7,504 metric tonne of rice, 1,056 tonne of sugar and 348 tonne of wheat to prepare food for people in case they were displaced and accommodated at shelters. There are 28 cyclone shelters, 14 multipurpose centres and 191 community centres and schools to accommodate people in case they were displaced. Similarly, the administration has identified 43 centres to accommodate cattle.A team of 117 trained personnel from the state disaster relief force has been keeping vigil while doctors and paramedical staff members at 219 primary health centres and 10 government general hospitals in the district have been advised to work round the clock on Thursday and Friday. The administration has formed 13 medical teams and kept 41 ambulances ready to face any emergency. It has also directed the private hospitals to function round the clock.The administration has established control rooms (1077, 04142 220700, 221113, 233933, 221383) to enable people to seek assistance in case of any eventualities.

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