Cyclone Tauktae: PM Modi to visit Gujarat; conduct aerial survey, take stock of situation

In a breaking development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat and Diu on Wednesday to review the situation & the damage caused by Cyclone Tauktae. As per sources, PM Modi is scheduled to depart to Bhavnagar at 9.30 am on Wednesday and will proceed for an aerial survey of Una, Diu, Jafarabad & Mahuva. Sources also suggest that PM Modi will conduct a review meeting at Ahmedabad. 

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held a video conference with collectors of districts that have been affected the most by Cyclone Tauktae and sought details of the damages. He also directed the officials to ensure immediate relief and restoration efforts. In view of the Cyclonic storm, the COVID-19 vaccination drive has been suspended in the state and will resume on May 20, according to Gujarat CMO.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan on Tuesday said that the 'worst is over' and Cyclone Tauktae will "become a depression" by today evening. Pradhan said, "The cyclone has weakened into a cyclonic storm level and probably in another couple of hours it will become a cyclonic system which is a much lower category. By the time it reaches Gujarat coast in the late evening, it would have become a depression...The worst is over"

"The cyclone has weakened into a cyclonic storm level and probably in another couple of hours it will become a cyclonic system which is a much lower category. By the time it reaches Gujarat coast in the late evening, it would have become a depression...The worst is over," said SN Pradhan. 

The landfall process of the eye of extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae ended around 12 am on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department said. There is no report of any casualty so far, officials had said. The state government had shifted over two lakh people to safer locations before the cyclone. In a relief to the people, the IMD, in its tweet after midnight, also announced that Cyclone Tauktae has weakened into a "very severe cyclonic storm" from the "extremely severe cyclonic storm".

Cyclone Tauktae

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had sent the warning signs of the cyclone with strict orders for fishermen not to conduct any operations till the cyclone completely settles down. High-level meetings were also conducted and complete preparations were executed. The IMD earlier informed that light or moderate rainfall is predicted in North and Northeast parts after Gujarat.