PM Narendra Modi took a high level meeting here today to review the preparedness of States and Central Ministries/Agencies concerned to deal with the situation arising out of Cyclone ‘Tauktae’.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that Cyclone ‘Tauktae’ is expected to touch Gujarat coast between Porbandar & Naliya around 18th May afternoon /evening with the wind speed ranging upto 175 kmph. It is likely to cause heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of Gujarat, including extremely heavy falls in Junagadh & Gir Somnath and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places in the districts of Saurashtra Kutch & Diu namely Gir Somnath, Diu, Junagadh, Porbandar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Amreli, Rajkot, Jamnagar.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has already released first instalment of SDRF in advance to all States. NDRF has pre-positioned 42 teams which are equipped with boats, tree-cutters, telecom equipments etc. in six States and has kept 26 teams on standby.
Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief, search and rescue operations. Air Force and Engineer task force units of Army, with boats and rescue equipment, are on standby for deployment. Seven ships with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Units are on standby along western coast. Surveillance aircraft and helicopters are carrying out serial surveillance along the western coast. Disaster Relief teams (DRTs) and Medical Teams (MTs) are standby at Trivandrum, Kannur and other locations along western coast.
The Prime Minister directed senior officers to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated by the State Governments and to ensure maintenance of all essential services such as Power, Telecommunications, health, drinking water etc. and are restored immediately in the event of damages caused to them.
He further directed them to ensure special preparedness on COVID management in hospitals, vaccine cold chain and other medical facilities on power back up and storage of essential medicines and to plan for unhindered movement of oxygen tankers. He also directed for 24*7 functioning of control rooms.
