Very severe cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ is likely to intensify further during the next 24 hours and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva during wee hours tomorrow. India Meteorological Department DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, at the time of landfall, winds speed is expected to be 155-165 kmph. With the Cyclone Tauktae moving northwards towards Gujarat, state government has evacuated 1.5 lakh people from low-lying coastal areas in the state. IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in coastal areas of Gujarat today and tomorrow.
Met department has also predicted heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Maharashtra’s north Konkan region, Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar and extremely heavy rainfall in Raigad today.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah yesterday chaired a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Maharashtra, and the Administrator of Daman and Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli to review their preparedness to tackle the situation.
NDRF has deployed more than 50 teams in Gujarat ahead of the landfall. Indian Air Force has stationed 16 transport aircraft and 18 helicopters on standby.
Indian Coast Guard Disaster Relief Teams with inflatable boats and lifejackets are on standby all along the western coast for undertaking disaster response operations. Coast Guard has also kept its medical teams and ambulances in stand-by for swift mobilization.
Vaccination drives against Covid-19 will remain suspended across Gujarat and parts of Maharashtra today in view of Tauktae.
In Kerala, the water level in many dams increased after heavy rainfall in some areas.
Power supply in many areas of Goa was disrupted as hundreds of electric poles were uprooted due to the high-speed winds.
Our correspondent reports that Additional Chief Secretary of State Revenue department Pankaj Kumar said that the state administration is fully prepared to minimize the impact of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Tauktae. He said that more than 1 lakh 50 thousand people have been shifted to the safer places with Covid protocols.
44 teams of National Disaster Relief Force have been allotted to Gujarat and deployed in coastal districts likely to be hit by the very severe cyclonic storm. 6 teams of the state disaster relief force have also been deployed for rescue and relief works. Fishermen have been asked not to venture the sea for the next five days. Marine Police and Coast Guard are helping fishermen stuck in the sea for their safe return to the coast. Special arrangements have been made for the safety of Covid patients in all government and private Covid hospitals.
In Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra, people living near the coastline have been shifted to safer places. The disaster management authority said that in Ratnagiri more than 3800 people, Sindhudurg around 144 people and in Raigad 2500 people have been shifted to safer locations.
In Palghar, the impact of very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae is being felt. According to the Palghar district collector an urgent meeting of the disaster management was convened late last night. Due to the strong winds, there was no power supply in the region since early morning. In Ratnagiri too, the impact of very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae was felt in Rajapur and nearby villages along the coastline of Ratnagiri taluka. Incidences of tree felling, disruption in power supply due to snapping of electric wires are also being reported. However, there are no reports of any loss of life in any of these places.