Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the preparedness for the cyclone Hudhud at an emergency meeting and asked officials to ensure that rescue and relief operations proceed smoothly and people were informed about the storm on a real-time basis.
Mr. Modi also asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to be in touch with the Chief Ministers of the States likely to be affected by it, an official statement said. “He instructed senior officers of the Union Government to maintain close contact and coordination with officers of the affected States to ensure that relief and rescue operations proceed smoothly.”
The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary to the PM, the Home Secretary, the Defence Secretary and other senior officials from the Indian Meteorological Department and the PMO.
Meanwhile, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) also reviewed the preparedness. It met under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth and reiterated that all Central agencies were fully geared up to provide necessary assistance to the two States in case of any eventuality arising out of the expected landfall of the cyclone on Sunday.
The committee took stock of the relief and rescue measures put in place after discussions with the Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
A total of 44 National Disaster Response Force teams, comprising more than 1,680 rescuers along with 199 inflatable rubber boats and other life-saving equipment, have already been deployed in various parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to meet any challenge. Indian Air Force helicopters are also on standby.
An Army spokesperson said eight rescue teams and four engineer task forces have been placed at Vishakhapatnam and Sri Kakulam in Andhra Pradesh. Additional resources have been kept on standby and would be mobilised based on the developing situation, which is being monitored closely.
The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast that wind speeds could reach up to 180 km per hour in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as Hudhud had developed into a “very severe cyclonic storm.”
