Thousands of individuals from low-lying areas alongside the western coast are being evacuated to security as a strong cyclone is predicted to make landfall on Tuesday morning in Gujarat.
“It may be very more likely to intensify additional throughout the 24 hours, and transfer north-northwestwards and attain Gujarat coast in the night of seventeenth (May),” the India Meteorological Department said in a statement.
Cyclone Tauktae, which formed in the Arabian sea, is expected to cross Gujarat with wind gusts of up to 175 kmph (109 mph) and is expected to make landfall in the state the following morning.
Four people have been killed and 73 villages badly damaged on Sunday, according to the southwestern Karnataka state’s disaster management authority.
Nearly 2,500 government rescuer workers have been deployed in six states on Cyclone Tauktae’s path Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa equipped with wireless radios, satellite phones, cutters and tools needed for post-cyclone operations.
The meteorological agency also warned that there could be destruction of houses and flooding of escape routes. Disruption to railway services was also expected until May 21.
The National Crisis Management Committee also chaired a meeting with different states on Sunday and said that nearly 80 disaster management teams have been deployed in different states.
Rescue and relief teams from the army, navy and coast guard along with ships and aircraft have also been deployed.
“All measures being taken to evacuate people in the areas affected by the cyclone so as to ensure zero loss of life,” the authorities mentioned in an announcement.
Evacuation of individuals from the coastal areas has began, mentioned Gujarat’s income secretary Pankaj Kumar. “We will likely be evacuating greater than 100,000 folks.”
The massive storm will likely hamper India’s fight against a coronavirus surge that’s sweeping the country with devastating death tolls, as virus lockdown measures may slow relief work and damage from the storm could potentially destroy roads and cut vital supply lines.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has asked officials to ensure that electricity supply to Covid-19 hospitals and other medical facilities is not disrupted while oxygen supply is maintained, the state government’s statement said. Vaccinations have also been suspended for the next two days.
In Maharashtra, the government has moved Covid-19 patients admitted to makeshift centres in Mumbai to other hospitals as the cyclone advances towards Gujarat, the chief minister’s office said.
The two states are also home to large refineries and seaports that may end up being in the storm’s path.
All necessary precautions are being taken at the Jamnagar refinery, the world’s biggest oil refinery complex, owned by Reliance Industries, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
Operations at Mundra port, India’s largest private port, in Gujarat are continuing normally, two officials at the port told Reuters on Sunday morning.
“We are observing the situation, and will take action accordingly,” an official mentioned.
Authorities at Kandla Port, the largest government-run port in the nation, mentioned that steps have been taken to evacuate round 5,000 folks from low mendacity areas.
“We have already issued an advisory, and have stopped taking any vessels inside. There will likely be no berthing tomorrow morning, and all vessels will likely be despatched to the excessive seas,” S.K. Mehta, chairman of Kandla Port, said.
JNPT, near Mumbai, has also issued similar directives in view of inclement weather warnings.
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