New Delhi (NVI): India Meteorological Department has issued another cyclone warning over Arabian Sea which is likely to hit Comorin and adjoining Lakshadweep Islands in the next 24 hours.
The deep depression in the Arabian sea has intensified into the cyclonic storm “Maha” in the evening on October 30, said IMD in the statement.
IMD informed that cyclonic storm is likely to cross Lakshadweep Islands by the noon of October 31 and thereafter it will into the East Central Arabian Sea. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by winds reaching up to 90 to 100 kmph and tidal waves up to 1 mtr, are expected.
In the view of cyclone occurring over Comorin and adjoining Lakshadweep Islands, the Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has chaired a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to take stock of the current situation and preparedness for rescue and relief operations.
In the meeting, it was intimated by the Lakshadweep administration that all necessary preparations have been made by them and fishermen have been recalled to the shore. People living in the low lying areas have been evacuated to shelter homes and are being provided with food and water, said an official statement.
“Teams of Coast Guard and Indian Navy are on the standby for any eventuality,” it added.
Meanwhile, the cabinet secretary was informed by the representative of Indian Navy about preparedness at Lakshadweep and Southern Naval Command’s readiness to depute warships with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) bricks and relief material embarked.
The Naval Officer-in-Charge (NOIC) Lakshadweep and Minicoy (L&M) and INS Dweeprakshak at Kavaratti are taking all precautions in co-ordination with Union Territory Lakshadweep (UTL) Administration to ensure the safety of people and material.
Naval teams at Kavaratti, Androth and Minicoy have been directed to provide all possible assistance required to the administration.
The meeting was attended by the Senior officials of the Ministries of Home, Defence, as well as those from IMD and NDRF. The Senior officers from the UT Administration participated in the meeting through Video Conference.
For the first time in 50 years, two cyclonic storm “Maha” and “Kyarr” have existed simultaneously in the Arabian Sea.
–PS
