New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of states and central ministries and concerned agencies to deal with the situation arising out of the likely formation of Cyclone Jawad.
PM Modi has directed officials to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated and to ensure maintenance of all essential services such as Power, Telecommunications, health, drinking water etc., and that they are restored immediately in the event of any disruption.
“He further directed them to ensure adequate storage of essential medicines & supplies and to plan for unhindered movement. He also directed for 24*7 functioning of control rooms,” read an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) had informed that a low-pressure region in the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into Cyclone Jawad. It is expected to reach the coast of North Andhra Pradesh – Odisha around morning of December 4, 2021, with the wind speed ranging upto 100 kmph.
The cyclone is likely to cause heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. IMD has been issuing regular bulletins with the latest forecast to all the concerned States.
Here is how the government is preparing for Cyclone Jawad:
- Cabinet Secretary has reviewed the situation and preparedness with Chief Secretaries of all the coastal states and central ministries and agencies concerned.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has already released the first installment of SDRF in advance to all states.
- NDRF has pre-positioned 29 teams which are equipped with boats, tree-cutters, telecom equipments etc., in the States and has kept 33 teams on standby.
- Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief, search and rescue operations. Air Force and Engineer task force units of Army, with boats and rescue equipment, are on standby for deployment.
- Ministry of Power has activated emergency response systems and is keeping in readiness transformers, DG sets and equipments etc. for immediate restoration of electricity.
- Ministry of Communications is keeping all the telecom towers and exchanges under constant watch and is fully geared to restore telecom network.
- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued an advisory to the States/ UTs, likely to be affected, for health sector preparedness and response to COVID in affected areas.
- Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways has taken measures to secure all shipping vessels and has deployed emergency vessels.
- The states have also been asked to alert the industrial establishments such as Chemical & Petrochemical units near the coast.
- NDRF is assisting the State agencies in their preparedness for evacuating people from the vulnerable locations and is also continuously holding community awareness campaigns on how to deal with the cyclonic situation.
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