Gujarat: 'Tauktae' weakens as cyclonic storm, 13 dead

At least 13 people were killed as cyclone Tauktae battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, before weakening

Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad (Gujarat):As of 9 pm on Tuesday, cyclonic storm 'Tauktae' was about 120 km south-southeast of Gujarat's Deesa, 35 km west of Ahmedabad and 80 km east-northeast of Surendranagar.

The landfall process of the eye of the extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, which had hit the Gujarat coast in the Saurashtra region between Diu and Una on Monday night, ended around midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The cyclone completed the landfall in Gujarat at 1:30 am Monday night, with Amreli, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Porbandar, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and Botad districts in Saurashtra region remaining the worst affected," Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Pankaj Kumar said.

At least 13 people were killed as cyclone Tauktae battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, before weakening. It dumped heavy showers in parts of the state, with as many as 96 talukas receiving over four inches of rainfall. Six talukas received 8 to 9 inches and Umargam in South Gujarat received 14 inches of rain, the most in the state. Around 59,429 electric poles have fallen and 915 teams of 4200 workers are working for restoration.

"The state government's major concern was to ensure the uninterrupted treatment to COVID-19 patients in around 1,400 hospitals across the state. Out of these facilities, 16 faced power outage due to the cyclone. The electric supply was restored in 12 of them, while the remaining four were operating on backup power generators", Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told the media.

The production of medical oxygen at a plant in Bhavnagar was disrupted due to the cyclonic storm. However, buffer stock was used to ensure continuous oxygen supply to the patients. No casualties or any hindrance in oxygen supply was reported. As many as 674 roads were closed out of which 562 were reopened later. There was a power outage in 2,437 villages and the supply has been restored in 484 villages so far.

Una of Gir in Somnath district is the worst affected as the cyclone made its landfall between Una and the union territory of Diu. Heavy rain washed away unpaved and single lane roads. The Army columns cleared these roads for the movement of essential supplies and civil vehicles between Somnath and Diu, braving high-velocity winds and debris during the hours of darkness.

The cyclone had a devastating effect on sesame seeds, bajra and moong crops along with mango and coconut plantations.

Several areas of Ahmedabad city were inundated with knee-deep water following incessant downpour since Monday afternoon as the cyclone passed northward along the district's periphery. The city received a staggering 75.69 mm of rain between 6 am and 4 pm, said Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar.

The state government had shifted over two lakh people to safer locations before the cyclone hit the Gujarat coast. CM Rupani has announced relief to farmers who have suffered losses.

In view of the current situation, COVID-19 vaccination drive has been suspended in the state and will resume on May 20, a release from the Chief Minister's Office said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat and Diu on Wednesday to personally review the situation. He will leave Delhi at around 9.30 am and land at Bhavnagar from where he will proceed for an aerial survey of Una, Diu, Jafarabad & Mahuva. He will also hold a review meeting in Ahmedabad.

- With agency inputs