Cyclone Jawad: PM Narendra Modi chairs high-level meeting, reviews preparedness

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness to deal with cyclone-related incidents. According to the sources, PM Modi was being briefed by top officials on the possible cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal that could affect north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a meeting on the cyclone-related situation in the country. pic.twitter.com/eWIcoFp8rm

— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2021

The Director-General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Atul Karwal informed that a total of 33 more teams are being deployed at the required places to deal with the situation arising out of the impending cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

Karwal said, "PM Modi held a meeting today and he has been given the details of the cyclone situation. We are in constant contact with the state governments and assuring them of providing required NDRF teams."

"A total of 29 teams have already been deployed at the required places. Now a total of 33 teams are also being deployed to deal with the situation. All the people have been taken to safer places," the DG-NDRF added.

The meeting took place after the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an alert for the formation of a cyclone which is expected to cross the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha by the morning of December 4, with wind speeds ranging from 90 kmph to 100 kmph, accompanied by heavy rainfall and tidal waves in the coastal districts of these states.

The forecast said that the low-pressure area in the south Andaman Sea will intensify into a depression and move towards the coast as a cyclonic storm on December 4 and the Coast Guard has initiated extensive pre-emptive measures in the eastern coast keeping it in view. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba in the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting reviewed the preparedness of Central ministries agencies and state governments to deal with the situation arising out of the impending cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

In view of the IMD forecast of a cyclonic storm, the state government on Wednesday had asked collectors of 13 districts to prepare for the evacuation of the people and has chalked out a disaster management strategy by requisitioning NDRF, ODRAF and fire department personnel for rescue and relief operation.