Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday spoke to Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant and took stock of the preparedness for cyclone Tauktae in the coastal state, officials said.
Shah took stock of the situation, availability of resources and deployment of central and state government agencies, they said.
The home minister had also reviewed the cyclone preparedness of Gujarat, Maharashtra and two Union territories on Sunday and "specifically" stressed that all health facilities, including those for Covid-19 treatment, falling in the affected areas should be secured along with the patients. - PTI
As Cyclone Tauktae buildsup over the Arabian Sea, the Indian Coast Guard has ensured the safe return of 5,600 boats to the shores. Besides, the ICG alerted and safe routed 335 merchant vessels and timely rescued 6 personnel.
Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparedness for Cyclone Tauktae in Gujarat, Maharashtra and two Union territories on Sunday and "specifically" stressed that all health facilities, including those for Covid-19 treatment, falling in the affected areas should be secured along with the patients.
At a video-conference with the chief ministers of Gujarat and Maharashtra and the administrators of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Shah also advised them to ensure adequate stocks of all essential medicines and supplies in the hospitals, keeping in view a likely disruption in the movement of vehicles, a statement issued by the Union home ministry said.
Tauktae is expected to reach the Gujarat coast in the morning of May 18 with wind speeds of 150-160 km per hour, accompanied by heavy rainfall and storm surge.
Gale-force winds, heavy rainfall and high tidal waves swept the coastal belt of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa as Cyclone Tauktae hurtled northwards towards Gujarat on Sunday, leaving four people dead, damaging hundreds of houses, uprooting electricity poles and trees and forcing evacuation.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Tauktae which has taken the form of a "very severe cyclonic storm" is likely to intensify further during the next 24 hours and reach the Gujarat coast on Monday evening. -PTI
An estimated 1.5 lakh people are being shifted from low-lying coastal areas in Gujarat while 54 teams of the NDRF and SDRF remained deployed on Sunday in view of the IMD's warning that the very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae will reach the state coast on Monday evening and cross it on early Tuesday morning.
The government has asked hospitals treating Covid-19 patients to ensure a power backup and arrangements are also being made to ensure uninterrupted generation of medical oxygen in the eight manufacturing units and its supply.
Armed Forces are also kept on standby to deal with any eventuality. - PTI
Cyclone Tauktae hit the Konkan coast of Maharashtra on Sunday, causing heavy rains and uprooting trees as it movedtowards Gujarat.
India is preparing to evacuate thousands of people from low-lying areas along its western coast as powerful Cyclone Tauktae is expected to make landfall on Tuesday morning in Gujarat.
The very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae could cause heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in north Konkan, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar in Maharashtra on May 17, the IMD said on Sunday.
The Met department has predicted extremely heavy rainfall in Raigad on Monday.
The IMD had informed the Mumbai civic body that Mumbai is not in the direct line of the threat of the cyclone. However, as it will pass through the sea near the Mumbai coast, its effect is likely to be accompanied by rain and strong winds. - PTI
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 79 teams in eight states and union territories affected by cyclone Tauktae while another 22 teams are on the stand-by, officials told a high-level meeting on Sunday.
The Mumbai civic body on Sunday decided to keep its Covid-19 vaccination drive suspended for the third day on May 17 in view of the warning about cyclone Tauktae, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had on Friday announced that there would be no inoculation on May 15 and 16 considering the India Meteorological Department's cyclone warning.
The vaccination programme will now be implemented on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Chahal said. - PTI
With Cyclone Tauktae wreaking havoc in the coastal and surrounding Malnad districts of Karnataka, four deaths have been reported in the state so far, officials said on Sunday.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba met on Sunday, where the top bureaucrat of the country directed agencies to ensure "uninterrupted" functioning of the Covid hospitals in the states affected by the impending Cyclone Tauktae and secure "zero loss" of lives.
Officers from various central agencies, the chief secretaries of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the administrators of the Union territories of Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu took part in the meeting, a statement issued by the government said. - PTI
With CycloneTauktaefast approaching the Gujarat coast, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Sunday said that all fishing boats, except 18 in Maharashtra and one in Gujarat, have reached their harbours or taken shelter at nearby ports.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), CycloneTauktaehas intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and is very likely to reach the Gujarat coast in the evening hours of May 17 and cross it between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district around the early morning of May 18. - PTI
BJP president J P Nadda on Sunday interacted with party leaders from coastal states which are likely to be affected by cyclone Tauktae, and said that saffron organisation members will provide all possible help to people.
Party MPs, MLAs and office bearers from Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Daman & Diu and Gujarat were part of the virtual meeting with Nadda. - PTI
The word “Tauktae” is a Burmese word, suggested by Myanmar, which means gecko, a lizard known for its distinctive vocalisations. The name is the fourth from a new list of 169 names released by the IMD last year.
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With Cyclone Tauktae wreaking havoc in the coastal districts of the state, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday asked district in-charge Ministers and Deputy Commissioners to visit affected areas and carry out rescue and relief works.
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In anoother part of the world, Israel and Palestine are engaged in a bloody conflict. To get the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict follow DH's coverage.
At the Cacra village in Bambolim near state capital Panaji, fishermen were seen rushing back from the sea with their canoes as gusty winds hit the coast.
Local fisherman Sanjay Pereira claimed this was the worst cyclone since 1994.
"The water level in the sea has increased and it is expected to rise further by afternoon. All the fishermen are on alert to ensure their canoes are not pulled into the waters by strong currents," he said.
No casualty was reported so far, they said.
Power supply in majority areas of Goa was disrupted as several electric poles got uprooted due to the high speed winds, state Power Minister Nilesh Cabral told PTI.
"Hundreds of electric poles are broken and scores of power conductors have snapped. Many high tension 33 KV feeders are down due to the falling of trees. Even the 220 KV lines bringing power to Goa from neighbouring Maharashtra have been damaged," he said.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation shifted 580 patients from Covid care centers in the city as a precautionary measure after India Meteorological Department warned that Cyclone Tauktae is likely to pass close to the city, a BMC official said on Sunday.
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Districts near the Konkan coast have been warned of the cyclone. The CM has taken stock of the matter. I have informed him about the rehabilitation work. We have given instructions to prepare large shelters in these areas: Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar.
Houses and crops faced extensive damage across Kerala due to heavy rain and strong winds since Friday. Two persons drowned at Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts.
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Special effort should be taken to ensure that Covid-19 management in hospitals, cold chain for vaccine and storage of essential medicines are not impacted by cyclone Tauktae, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a high-level meeting on Saturday.
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The deep depression over the east-central Arabian Sea on Saturday intensified into cyclonic storm Tauktae, unleashing heavy rain and sea erosion in coastal districts while bringing widespread rain in Malnad region.
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Seven feared missing, two were rescued after a tug vessel named Alliance which was assisting the MRPL is cargo unloading near Single Point Mooring started drifting following the rough sea.
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