Centre, States Brace As Cyclone Ockhi Scares To Hit Hard

Cyclone Ockhi has caused a great deal of damage in the southern state of Kerela, claiming lives of as many as 19 people. It is now moving to the western coast towards Lakshwadeep, Maharashtra and parts of Gujarat. States are taking special measures to ensure their people are not affected by this natural calamity.

The impact

According to the latest numbers, more than 1,540 people, who have been hit by the cyclone, were rescued in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep until December 4.  

A total of 243 fishermen in Tamil Nadu, 250 fishermen in Kerala and 1,047 people in Lakshadweep have been rescued so far, an official statement said.

At the Centre

While addressing a rally in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government at the Centre as well as in Gujarat is prepared to tackle the situation when Cyclone Ockhi makes a landfall on state's coast today.

To curb the impact and to provide relief to those affected with all possible assistance, the Centre has started the rescue and relief operations in full swing.

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, on December 4, reviewed rescue and relief operations being carried out in high seas and coastal areas hit by Cyclone Ockhi in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Central government has deployed 10 Coast Guard ships, six aircraft, four helicopters and 10 Navy ships for the rescue and relief.

The NCMC took stock of the preparedness in Maharashtra and Gujarat as well.

The committee has also taken note of another depression forming in the southeast Bay of Bengal adjoining the South Andaman sea and reviewed the preparedness activities undertaken by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The NCMC has also issued guidelines and advisories to fishermen and others.

Moreover, to keep a track and review the working of states, Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a video conference with the chief secretaries and senior officers of the affected states and union territories. The government agencies along with state governments are now monitoring the storm regularly and designing rescue and relief operations accordingly.

Elsewhere…

Lakshwadeep: The cyclone had hit Laskhwadeep on December 4. In order to provide relief to the cyclone-affected area, the Indian Navy has already dispatched relief and humanitarian assistance. The relief material, including dry provisions like rice, dal, salt and potatoes, water, blankets, raincoats, disposable clothes, mosquito nets and dhurries, has been carried on Indian Navy ships. This material reached the island of Minicoy on Sunday and the Kavaratti and Kalpeni islands yesterday.

Mumbai: As Mumbai braced itself to fight Cyclone Ockhi, many schools and colleges in the city and adjoining districts were closed today as a precautionary measure. While some parts of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway experienced a hailstorm early today, the weather department has forecast intermittent rains in Mumbai and suburbs in the next 24 hours.

Goa: A tourism hotspot, Goa will also be hit by the cyclone. The North Goa district has assessed the preliminary damage caused by the cyclone in the coastal state.

The shack owners on the beachfront, whose establishments suffered damages following high tide during the cyclone, have decided to approach the state tourism department to seek compensation for their losses. A considerable damage has been caused to more than 50 shacks in Morjim, Mandrem, Arambol and Querim beaches in Pernem.

North Goa's District Magistrate Nila Mohanan has sent a report to the state government on the damages caused and recommended to include 'sea ingress due to rise in high tide levels' in the list of disasters, so that compensation can be released to the affected shack owners, an official release said.

With inputs from Housing News