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Cabinet secretary asks states to ensure nocasualties take place as Jawad nears
Reviewing the preparedness of states, central ministries and other agencies to deal with the impending cyclonic storm in a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), Gauba stressed on the restoration of essential services in the shortest possible time with minimum disruption and uninterrupted functioning of Covid-19 hospitals.
Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba on Friday directed all state and central agencies to follow all necessary protocols to ensure “no scope for loss of lives and to minimize the damage of property” from cyclonic storm Jawad, which is expected to cross the coast between north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha by Saturday morning.
Reviewing the preparedness of states, central ministries and other agencies to deal with the impending cyclonic storm in a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), Gauba stressed on the restoration of essential services in the shortest possible time with minimum disruption and uninterrupted functioning of Covid-19 hospitals.
According to a statement released by the committee, the meeting was attended by chief secretaries and senior officers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands who apprised it of preparatory measures put in place to deal with the storm.
The Cabinet secretary directed that all fishermen and vessels, which are out at sea, must be accounted for by the concerned states for which required assistance will be provided by Coast Guard and other central agencies in this regard.
“Public messaging may be carried out to ensure that people in the path of the cyclone are provided with suitable instructions and guidance during the period,” he said.
State officials said that cyclone shelters have been readied, and efforts were underway to ensure the safe return of fishermen from the sea and evacuation of people from low lying areas. Action has been taken to stock food grains, drinking water and other essential supplies, they added.
Teams for maintenance and restoration of power, roads, water supply and other essential services have also been positioned, and harvesting of standing crops is also being done to minimise damages, they said.
Officials from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), who also attended the meeting, informed the committee that an adequate number of teams have been deployed in the states that were likely to be affected and additional teams are on standby. Rescue and relief teams of the Army and Navy along with ships and aircraft are ready for deployment as required, they added.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm is likely to reach west-central Bay of Bengal off the coast of north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha by Saturday morning. Thereafter, it is likely to recurve north-northeastwwards, move along the coast of Odisha and adjoining Andhra Pradesh and cross the coast around Puri by December 5 noon.
Squally wind, gusting up to 65 kmph, is likely to start along and off the coast of north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha from Friday midnight, the weather office said. Wind speeds will increase up to 100 kmph from Saturday evening for the subsequent 12 hours, it added.
The weather bureau has also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over West Bengal on Saturday and Sunday, and heavy rainfall at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura on Sunday and Monday.
Secretaries and senior officers from ministries/department of home affairs, civil aviation, ports, railways, shipping and waterways, petroleum & natural gas, power and fisheries along with those from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), IMD, and National Disaster Management Authority also attended the meeting.
(With PTI inputs)
