A red alert has been sounded for northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as Cyclone Ditwah intensifies and moves towards the Indian mainland. The storm’s destructive passage through Sri Lanka, which resulted in numerous fatalities and missing persons, underscores the gravity of the situation. Indian meteorological agencies are closely monitoring its trajectory, predicting landfall imminently along the coasts of North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and South Andhra Pradesh. Heavy rainfall is already lashing parts of these regions, and authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant. The IMD’s latest updates place the cyclonic storm in the southwest Bay of Bengal, moving slowly northwards. To manage the potential crisis, both State and National Disaster Response Forces have been mobilized. In a show of regional solidarity, India has dispatched aid to Sri Lanka under ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’, comprising air force aircraft carrying essential supplies and a contingent of NDRF rescuers and their dogs for relief and search operations.
