Maharashtra CM to attend meeting with Amit Shah over Cyclone Tauktae preparedness

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will attend a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday to discuss the state's preparedness for Cyclone Tauktae.

"CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray will attend a meeting with Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah at 11:30 am to discuss Maharashtra's preparedness for Cyclone Tauktae," the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office tweeted.

The state government has issued warnings to districts near the Konkan coast and told officials to prepare large shelters in vulnerable areas, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said on Sunday, adding that the Chief Minister had taken stock of the matter and has been briefed about rehabilitation work.

In a meeting on Saturday, Thackeray had directed District Administration, Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors to be vigilant and well equipped especially in coastal areas of Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

Cyclone Tauktae intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" over Eastcentral Arabian Sea and is very likely to intensify further during the next 12 hours, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday.

It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach Gujarat coast in the evening hours of May 17 and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around May 18 early morning.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials have also assured on Friday that they are well prepared for Cyclone Tauktae and 53 teams have been committed, 24 teams pre-deployed, and 29 teams are on standby ready for the 5 most vulnerable states-- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

(ANI)

Also Read: Cyclone Tauktae: Cabinet Secretary reviews preparedness, 101 NDRF teams deployed across states