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New Delhi : The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on December 1, 2021, 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.
The Director General, India Meteorological Department, briefed the Committee about the current status of a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm byDecember 3, 2021. It is expected to cross the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha by the morning of December 4, 2021, 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 cyclonic storm is likely to affect the districts of Srikakulam, Vishakhapatanam, and Vijayanagaram in Andhra Pradesh and coastal districts of Odisha. It is also likely to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall in the coastal areas and Gangetic parts of West Bengal, according to a PIB release.
Chief Secretaries and senior officers from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Andaman & Nicobar, apprised the Committee of the preparatory measures being undertaken to protect the population in the expected path of the cyclonic storm as also measures being taken to ensure there is minimal damage to infrastructure in the aftermath of the storm.
The NDRF has deployed 32 teams in these states and additional teams are also being kept in readiness. Rescue and relief teams of the Army and Navy along with ships and aircrafts are ready for deployment, if required.
Reviewing the preparedness measures of the States and Central Agencies, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba stressed that all preventive and precautionary measures should be taken by the agencies concerned of the State Governments and those of the Centre, before the cyclonic storm makes landfall, to avoid any loss of life and minimise damages to property, infrastructure, and crops.
The Cabinet Secretary also emphasised that State Governments should make all efforts to ensure that fishermen and all vessels at sea are called back immediately and people in areas likely to be affected by the cyclonic storm are evacuated at the earliest. He assured the State Governments that all Central agencies are ready and will be available for assistance.
The Secretaries of Ministries of Home Affairs, Ports Shipping and Waterways, Department of Fisheries, Telecommunications, and senior officials from the Ministry of Power, Petroleum & Natural Gas, DGNDRF, DG IMD, CISC IDS, and NDMA also attended the meeting.