Cyclone Tauktae intensifies, moving towards Guj: IMD
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday that cyclone Tauktae is expected to touch Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Naliya around May 18 afternoon or evening with a wind speed ranging up to 175 kmph.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the preparedness of states, central ministries and agencies concerned to deal with the situation arising out of cyclone and asked them to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated.
He also called for ensuring maintenance of all essential services such as power, telecommunications, health and drinking and their immediate restoration in the event of damages caused to them, a statement said.
At the high-level meeting which was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah and top officials concerned, Modi 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, the PMO said.
Meanwhile, National Disaster Response Force has increased the number of teams from 53 to 100 to undertake relief and rescue measures. Each NDRF team has a strength of a total 47 personnel and, hence, the total manpower identified for the task is 4,700 rescuers. NDRF Director General S N Pradhan tweeted that these teams were being mobilised for deployment in the coastal regions of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra.
IMD said that there will be strong winds and heavy rainfall at isolated places on May 17 over north Konkan, including Mumbai.
The Maharashtra capital can expect showers from Sunday afternoon, said Shubhani Bhute, senior director (weather) IMD, Mumbai. The storm is currently 250 km south-west of Goa, she added.
"Goa alongwith Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts of Maharashtra would be mostly affected in terms of showers and gusty winds," Bhute said, adding the wind speeds would be around 60 to 70 kmph.
The IMD has issued an 'orange alert' which means heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over entire Konkan and hilly areas of western Maharashtra, mainly Kolhapur and Satara on Sunday and Monday, she said.
