PM Modi reviews preparations to deal with Cyclone Yaas

Prime Minister held a meeting with senior government officials to review preparations against the approaching Cyclone Yaas.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a meeting with senior government officials on Sunday to review the preparations for the approaching Cyclone Yaas.

The meeting was attended by senior government officials and representatives from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Secretaries from Telecom, Power, Civil aviation, Earth Sciences Ministries.

Read: Odisha, West Bengal brace to fight cyclone 'Yaas'

PM Modi directed senior officers to work in close co-ordination with states to ensure safe evacuation of people from high-risk areas. He also instructed all concerned departments to ensure timely evacuation of those involved in off-shore activities.

He spoke about the need to ensure that time duration of outages of power supply and communication network are minimum and are restored swiftly.

PM also asked officials to ensure proper co-ordination and planning with state governments to ensure no disruptions in Covid treatment and vaccination in hospitals. He also spoke about the need to involve district administrations in the process of planning and preparedness for better learning from best practices and seamless co-ordination.

NDRF has pre-positioned 46 teams which are equipped with boats, tree-cutters, telecom equipments etc. in 5 States/ UT. In addition, 13 teams are being airlifted today for deployment and has kept 10 teams on standby.

Read:Cyclone Yaas: Low Pressure Forms In Bay Of Bengal

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. Seven ships with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Units are on standby along western coast.

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has taken measures to secure all oil installations in the sea and to bring back their shipping vessels to safe harbour. Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways has taken measures to secure all shipping vessels and has deployed emergency vessels (Tugs).

With Odisha and West Bengal bracing for cyclonic storm Yaas, the Indian Army on Saturday informed that it has arranged columns and engineer task forces are on standby for rescue and relief operations.

Also, ahead of Cyclone Yaas, which is likely to make landfall along the Bengal-Odisha coast between May 24 and May 26, the Northern Railway has temporarily cancelled over a dozen trains from the national capital to and from Bhubaneswar and Puri in Odisha.

Besides this, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also reviewed the preparedness for the cyclonic storm.

(with agency inputs)