Prez speaks to Tamil Nadu CM, inquires about Cyclone Gaja aftermath

In a tweet, the president said the people and the Government of India were "standing by those in distress" in Tamil Nadu.

"Spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and inquired about the situation in the aftermath of Cyclone Gaja, expressed condolences to bereaved families. People and government of India are standing by those in distress in the state. #PresidentKovind," he said on his official Twitter handle.

Cyclone Gaja, which crossed Tamil Nadu coast last Friday between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranyam, has claimed 45 lives and left a trail of destruction, uprooting 1.7 lakh trees and damaging 88,102 hectares of agricultural land.

The cyclone has caused severe damage in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in neighbouring Puducherry.