Cyclone Tauktae: 1.5 lakh people being shifted in Gujarat; health staff to be on standby

An estimated 1.5 lakh people are being shifted from low-lying coastal areas in Gujarat whereas 54 groups of the NDRF and SDRF remained deployed on Sunday in view of the IMD’s warning that the very extreme cyclonic storm Tauktae will attain the state coast on Monday night and cross it on early Tuesday morning.

The authorities has requested hospitals treating COVID-19 sufferers to guarantee an influence backup and preparations are additionally being made to guarantee uninterrupted era of medical oxygen in the eight manufacturing items and its provide.

Armed Forces are additionally saved on standby to take care of any eventuality.

“With the cyclone likely to affect power supply, hospitals treating COVID-19 patients have been asked to ensure power back-up. Arrangements have also been made to ensure uninterrupted generation of medical oxygen in the eight manufacturing units and buffer stock is also created,” Chief Minister Vijay Rupani instructed reporters after attending a cyclone assessment assembly in Gandhingar.

The authorities has additionally determined to halt the COVID-19 vaccination drive on Monday and Tuesday because the health staff will be saved on standby for the subsequent two days to meet any emergency arising out of the cyclonic storm, he stated.

“The state government has decided that there should be zero casualty due to the cyclone. We have got time at hand, so people residing in low-lying areas and coastal villages will be relocated by (Sunday) midnight. It is estimated that around 1.5 lakh people will be shifted,” Mr. Rupani stated.

He stated as thatched homes will be affected probably the most in the cyclone, the federal government’s precedence is to shift all of the people residing in such homes in the affected areas by Sunday midnight.

“As the cyclone will bring heavy rainfall, 44 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), ten teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), as well as teams of the fire brigade, police, and coast guard have been deployed.

“If required, the Armed Forces will also assist in relief and rescue operations, and have been kept on standby”, Mr. Rupani added.

He stated that as the ability provide goes to be disrupted, about 1,500 hospitals treating COVID-19 sufferers have been requested to make preparations for energy backup by way of mills to be sure that therapy isn’t affected.

The association has additionally been made to guarantee uninterrupted manufacturing and provide of oxygen to hospitals, and likewise to create a buffer inventory, he stated.

“We are concerned and have ensured through advanced planning that the (COVID-19) patients are not affected due to the disruption in power and oxygen supply,” Mr. Rupani stated.

In its newest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department stated Tauktae could be very doubtless to intensify additional through the subsequent 24 hours and attain the Gujarat coast on Monday night. It will cross the state coast between Porbandar and Mahuva (in Bhavnagar district) round early Tuesday morning.

The Met division has warned of heavy to very heavy rains with remoted extraordinarily heavy falls in a number of districts of Gujarat, particularly these in Saurashtra and south Gujarat areas.

Some locations in Ahmedabad are additionally doubtless to obtain heavy to very heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday.

On Wednesday, remoted locations in some districts in north Gujarat will even obtain heavy to very heavy rainfall, as per the IMD.

As the cyclone intensifies, the wind velocity alongside and off Gujarat coasts in the districts of Porbandar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath and Amreli will attain 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph by Tuesday morning.

It will attain a velocity of 120-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph over Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, and Bhavnagar districts of the state throughout the identical interval, the IMD stated.

Gale wind velocity reaching 100-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph will prevail over Bharuch, Anand, south Ahmedabad, Botad, and Surendranagar, and 90-100 kmph gusting to 120 kmph over Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Morbi districts from early hours of Tuesday, the division stated.

Sea situation will develop into “very rough to high” alongside and off south Gujarat coast from Monday morning, and “very high to phenomenal” from Monday midnight, it added.