The severe cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ over east central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 9kmph in six hours and intensified into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ on Sunday, reported the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
It lay centred over the east central Arabian Sea, about 150 km southwest of Panaji, Goa. The IMD said that it is very likely to intensify further during the next 12 hours. The cyclonic storm is very likely to reach the Gujarat coast in the evening hours of 17 May and cross between Porbandar and Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around early morning on 18 May.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Maharashtra and the Administrator of Daman and Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli to assess the preparedness of states and Union Territories and Central ministries and agencies concerned to deal with ‘Tauktae’. He also spoke to the Goa Chief Minister.
Shah reviewed the preparedness of all health facilities in the areas likely to be impacted by the cyclone and directed the state administration and district collectors to make adequate power backup arrangements in all Covid hospitals, labs, vaccine cold chains and other medical facilities. The Home Minister also directed Maharashtra and Gujarat to plan in advance for keeping a buffer stock of oxygen for two days and the movement of oxygen tankers allocated to the states, so that supply is not impacted in case of any disruption.
“A 24×7 control room is functioning in MHA, which can be contacted at any time for any assistance by the states. The Indian Coast Guard, the Navy, Army and Air Force units have also been put on standby and surveillance aircraft and helicopters are carrying out aerial sorties,” Shah said.
The Home Minister also directed senior officers to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated and all essential services maintained, including health and oxygen facilities, power, telecommunications, drinking water and that these are restored immediately in the event of damages.
Though the cyclonic storm is heading towards the Gujarat coast, it is causing continuous downpour and gusty winds in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
All flights to and from Goa have been cancelled. The official Twitter handle of Airports Authority of India, Goa International Airport tweeted, “Considering prevalent weather conditions in, around, en route Goa due to very severe cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’, all airlines have cancelled their flight operations to and from Goa for today.”
Incidents of trees falling on railway tracks at five places between Margao and Thivim railway stations were reported by Konkan Railway officials. Though some trains are running late, there’s no disruption in train traffic on the Konkan Railway route, they added.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that roads are blocked and the power supply disrupted in the state due to the destruction caused by the cyclone. He stated that two deaths have been reported, besides reports of more than 500 trees falling and around 100 major houses and 100 minor houses being damaged.
The dialysis unit of Manipal Hospital in Goa has been affected by the cyclone and the hospital has sent an SMS to inform patients of the damage and ask them to book slots at nearby hospitals.
In Maharashtra, the IMD has predicted extremely heavy rainfall in Raigad and heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in north Konkan, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar on Monday.
The IMD had informed the Mumbai civic body that the city is not in the direct line of threat. However, as a precautionary measure, it has decided to shift as many as 580 patients from three Covid care facilities.
In Karnataka, four people were killed and 73 villages in six districts—three coastal and three in hilly regions of the Western Ghats—were destroyed due to Tauktae. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa stated the situation is being closely monitored and rescue and relief operations have been ensured.
An orange alert has been sounded in three districts of Kerala, namely Malappuram, Ernakulam and Idukki, and a yellow alert in all other districts, after torrential rains and fierce winds and high tidal waves wreaked havoc in the state over a few days.
All districts experienced very heavy rainfall and many low-lying areas and roads were flooded. Two lives were lost in rain-related incidents in Ernakulam and Kozhikode. Several houses were damaged, many trees were uprooted and power lines were snapped in various parts of the state.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reviewed the preparedness of states and Central agencies to deal with the situation arising out of the cyclone. The National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) has deployed a total of 101 teams across the states that will most likely be affected. As many as 79 teams, along with 22 on standby, have been deployed. Rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard, along with ships and aircraft have also been deployed.
WITH AGENCY INPUTS