Prime Minister holds review meeting of preparations and plans to deal with cyclone ‘Yaas’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of the respective states and central ministries / agencies to deal with the cyclone ‘Yas’.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that Cyclone ‘Yaas’ is expected to move at a speed of 155-165 km on the evening of 26 May, with a speed of 185 km per hour in West Bengal and North There is a possibility of crossing Odisha shores. This may cause heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and North Odisha. The IMD has also warned that the coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha may experience storms of about 2-4 meters high. IMD is regularly issuing bulletins with latest forecasts to all concerned states.
The Prime Minister was told that the Cabinet Secretary held a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on 22 May 2021 with the Chief Secretaries of all coastal states / union territories and officials of the concerned ministries / agencies. The Ministry of Home Affairs is reviewing the situation 24/7 and is in touch with the coastal states / union territories and the concerned ministries / agencies. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has already prepared 46 teams in the States / Union Territories with boats, tree cutting equipment, telecommunication equipment etc. Apart from this, 13 teams are being airlifted for deployment today and 10 teams are placed in standby (for emergencies).
The Indian Coast Guard and Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief, search and rescue operations. The Air Force and Army Engineer Task Force units are placed in standby for deployment. Seven ships and disaster relief units with humanitarian aid are in standby on the west coast.
Steps have been taken by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to keep all oil installations at sea safe and to bring ships to safe harbor. The Ministry of Power has activated the emergency response system and kept the transformers, DG sets and equipment etc. ready so that the power can be restored immediately. The Ministry of Telecom is constantly monitoring the towers and exchanges and is fully prepared to restore the telecommunication network. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a consultation to the affected States / Union Territories to prepare for the health sector and to deal with the condition of Kovid in the affected areas. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has taken measures to keep all ships safe and has deployed emergency ships.
The NDRF is assisting the state agencies in preparing people for evacuation from dangerous places and is continuously conducting community awareness campaigns to deal with the cyclone situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked senior officials to work in close cooperation with the states to ensure safe evacuation of people from high-risk areas. He has instructed all concerned departments that timely evacuation of people involved in offshore activities should be ensured. He directed all the concerned departments to reduce the time cut in power and telecommunication network and speedy restoration of power and telecommunication network. The Prime Minister also asked the officials to work appropriately with the state governments and to do planning work so that there is no disruption in the treatment and vaccination work of Kovid patients in the hospitals. He stressed the need to involve the district administration in the planning and preparation process to learn well from best practices. He directed the officials to advise and instruct the citizens of the affected districts what to do, what not to do in the vernacular language. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to directly interact with various stakeholders such as coastal communities, industries and sensitize them.
The meeting was attended by the Home Minister, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Minister of State for Home, Cabinet Secretary, Home, Telecom, Fisheries, Civil Aviation, Power, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Secretaries of the Ministries / Departments of Earth Sciences, Chairman of the Railway Board, Members and Member-Secretary of NDMA, Director General of IMD and NDRF, senior officials of the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Home Affairs attended.
