A very severe cyclonic storm with winds gusting up to 185 km per hour was barrelling towards the Gujarat coast on Monday, dumping heavy rains on Mumbai, forcing the evacuation of over 1.5 lakh people in Gujarat and leaving two barges with 410 people on board adrift in the Arabian Sea.
Tropical storm 'Tauktae' which has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm was packing wind speeds of about 20 kmph and is expected to reach Gujarat coast by the evening and cross it between 8 pm and 11 pm, the IMD said.
As the cyclone raged past the Maharashtra coast and inched closer to Mumbai in the morning, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport announced the suspension of operations from 11 am to 2 pm and later decided to keep all operations shut till 6 p.m.
Here are the latest updates :
Cyclone Tauktae weakens after landfall in Gujarat
The landfall process of the eye of extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, which had hit the Gujarat coast in Saurashtra between Diu and Una around 9 pm, ended around 12 am on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department said.
There is no report of any casualty so far, officials said. The State government had shifted over two lakh people to safer locations before the cyclone.
In a relief to the people, the IMD, in its tweet after midnight, also announced that Cyclone Tauktae has weakened into a "very severe cyclonic storm" from the "extremely severe cyclonic storm".
Gujarat's coastal areas plunge into darkness
Towns and villages plunged into darkness due to power outages and several trees and electric poles were uprooted in areas near Gujarat's coast as cyclone 'Tauktae' began making a landfall on Monday night, bringing along with it very strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Authorities snapped power supply in many areas of the worst affected coastal districts of Gir Somnath, Amreli, Junagadh, and Bhavnagar among others in advance as a precautionary measure, while in other areas, blackout was caused as soon as the cyclone started making a landfall.
There were no immediate reports of casualties though the cyclone battered the coastal districts.
Several electricity poles fell due to the strong winds. In Talala in Gir Somnath district, a mobile tower crashed, officials said.
A large number of trees were uprooted and they blocked several roads as the wind blowing at a very high speed battered the coastal areas, they said.
In one incident, a large tree fell on a house in Una town of Gir Somnath district, causing minor damage to the structure, they said.
A rescue team immediately reached the spot and chopped off the branches, the officials said.
Army personnel rushed to clear roads that were blocked due to uprooted trees in Sasan Gir and Diu, among other places.
The cyclone also caused damage to standing crops in the affected areas, they said.
Popular Kesar variety of mangoes suffered damage due to strong winds in Gir Somnath and Junagadh districts, where they are mainly grown, the officials said.
All major highways leading up to Somnath and Diu were blocked by the authorities to prevent any major accident, which caused a long queue of heavy vehicles like trucks and tankers, they said.
At several places, roofs of thatched houses were blown away by high-speed winds.
- PTI
60 rescued from Barge P305 off Bombay High area
A total of 60 persons from Barge P305 off the Mumbai coast have been rescued as of 11 p.m. on Monday of which 42 were rescued by INS Kochi and 18 by offshore support vessel Energy Star in extremely challenging sea conditions due to Cyclone Tauktae, the Navy said.
Barge P305 went adrift off Heera oil fields in Bombay High area earlier on Monday with 273 persons onboard.
“Search and Rescue (SAR) operations will continue through the night for the remaining crew,” a Navy Spokesperson said.
Cyclone Tauktae begins landfall on Gujarat coast
Cyclone Tauktae began the process of landfall on the Gujarat coast around 8.30 p.m. on Monday night as the State braced for the impact of surging wind speeds of up to 210 km/h. Earlier in the day, six persons were killed as the “extremely severe cyclonic storm” ran parallel to the Maharashtra coast and wound its way to Gujarat.
“Landfall process is continuing, it will take another three hours to complete its landfall process,” the Meteorological Department said about Tauktae in a 9.16 p.m. tweet on its official handle.
Mumbai international airport has resumed operations with effect from 22:00 hours on 17th May.
Indian Navy deploys 3 warships to rescue over 400 people onboard 2 barges adrift off
The Indian Navy on Monday deployed three of its frontline warships to rescue over 400 people onboard two barges off the Mumbai coast as cyclone Tauktae roared up the western coast.
Navy officials said 38 people out of 137 onboard 'GAL Constructor' were rescued under extreme weather conditions and very rough seas.
The ships deployed to extend assistance to the two barges are INS Kolkata, INS Kochi and INS Talwar, Navy officials said.
"On receipt of a request for assistance for a barge 'P305' adrift off Heera oil fields in Bombay high area with 273 personnel onboard, INS Kochi was swiftly sailed with a despatch for search and rescue assistance," Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.
He said INS Talwar has also been deployed for the search and rescue operation.
"In response to another SOS received from barge 'GAL Constructor' with 137 people onboard about 8NM from Mumbai, INS Kolkata has been sailed with despatch to render assistance," Commander Madhwal said.
He said several other ships and aircraft have also been readied for HARD (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) operations in the wake of cyclone Tauktae. - PTI
Over 55 flights cancelled at Mumbai airport due to the cyclone
More than 55 flights, both incoming and outbound, were cancelled at the city's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Monday after the private airport operator was forced to suspend all air services at 11 a.m. due to cyclone 'Tauktae'.
These cancellations apart, some seven incoming flights were also diverted to various airports.
The CSMIA for the fourth time in the day extended the closure of operations till 10 pm after first announcing that the airport will remain closed for three hours, starting 11 a.m.
With the announcement of the cyclone alert, Mumbai Airport has closed all flight operations with effect from 11 am till 10 pm on May 17, the CSMIA said in a late evening statement.
The airport operator said it has registered the cancellations of 34 arrivals and 22 departures, it said, adding that a few airlines have decided to cancel services to Mumbai.
CSMIA, however, did not provide specific details. - PTI
Evacuated thousands in Gujarat, Kerala, Daman and Diu in view of Tauktae: NDRF
The NDRF on Monday said it has evacuated thousands of stranded people in the last three days in Gujarat, Kerala and Daman and Diu in view of Cyclone Tauktae.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that Tauktae has now intensified into an "extremely severe cyclonic storm". It is likely to reach the Gujarat coast by Monday evening and cross the state coast between 8 pm and 11 pm.
"Teams are continuously cutting and clearing heavy trees and electric poles that have been uprooted and crashed on roads. Extensive efforts are being made to bring the situation to normal in the affected states."
"In the last three days, the force has evacuated thousands of stranded people to safer places in Gujarat, Kerala and Daman and Diu and it is assisting district administration in mass evacuation of the people from the coast line," an NDRF spokesperson said.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked a total of 101 teams, with 47 personnel in each, for undertaking relief and rescue operations in the aftermath of the cyclone in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
Twenty-two teams out of these have been kept as reserve at various NDRF bases in the country and can be airlifted at a short notice, a senior officer said. - PTI
Landfall process starts; 6 dead in Maharashtra
A very severe cyclonic storm with winds gusting up to 185 km per hour began making landfall on the Gujarat coast Monday night, after dumping heavy rains on Mumbai, forcing the evacuation of over 1.5 lakh people in Gujarat and leaving two barges with 410 people on board adrift in the Arabian Sea.
Tropical storm 'Tauktae' (pronounced as Tau'Te) which had intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm, lies close to the Gujarat coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. "The landfall process has started and will continue during next two hours," the IMD said.
Six persons were killed in Maharashtra's Konkan region in separate incidents related to the severe cyclonic storm and three sailors remained missing after two boats sank in the sea, officials said.
Three persons died in Raigad district, a sailor in Sindhudurg district and two persons were killed in Navi Mumbai and Ulhasnagar in Thane district after trees fell on them.
Two boats with seven sailors on board, anchored in the Anandwadi harbour in Sindhudurg district capsized, an official statement said.
As the cyclone moved past the Maharashtra coast in the morning, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport initially announced the suspension of operations from 11 am to 2 pm and later decided to keep all operations shut till 8 pm.
Over 1.5 lakh people were shifted from low-lying coastal areas in Gujarat, while 54 teams of the NDRF and SDRF remained deployed, an official said. - PTI
“Extremely Severe Cyclone” Tauktae to cross Gujarat coast tonight
The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae” (pronounced 'Tau’Te) over east central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 13 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 1130 hours on Monday. It is about 145 km west of Mumbai, 180 km south-southeast of Diu, 220 km southeast of Veraval (Gujarat), and 475 km east-southeast of Karachi (Pakistan), said the latest joint bulletin of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) here and India Meteorological Department (IMD).
It is very likely to cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) to the east of Diu during the night (2000 – 2300 hrs IST) with a maximum sustained wind speed 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph. High wave/ocean state warnings have been issued for Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep with flooding of low lying areas, light to heavy rainfall and top wind speeds.
Six killed as Tauktae pounds coastal Maharashtra
Six persons were killed and nine injured on Monday as cyclone Tauktae wrought havoc on Maharashtra’s coastline, damaging homes, uprooting trees and leading to water logging in Mumbai.
The State government had evacuated over 12,420 people from coastal districts of Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad to safer places.
One fisherman drowned and three others are missing after two boats capsized off Devgad in Sindhudurg. In Raigad and Thane districts, three and two people lost their lives, respectively. Of the nine injured, four were reported in Mumbai, two in Ratnagiri and Raigad while one in Thane. A total of 2,542 houses were partially destroyed.
High-speed winds uproot trees, power poles in Thane
High-speed winds uprooted many trees and electricity poles, partially damaged two buildings besides many houses and in Thane and Palghar districts neighbouring Mumbai on Monday as the very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae was barrelling towards Gujarat, officials said.
Hoardings fell on the ground at many places.
In Kalyan, two persons travelling on a two-wheeler were injured after a huge hoarding fell on them.
A water tank on the terrace of a hospital broke and fell in the afternoon. Also, a power supply line broke and fell on road in Bazarpeth area.
No one was injured in these incidents.
In Thane city, part of a building located in Lokmanya Nagar collapsed in the afternoon following heavy rains, a senior civic official said.
In Mumbra, the slab of a building located in Bhoir Compound crumbled.
No casualty was reported in both incidents. - PTI
Rajnath asks three services to provide all assistance to civil administrations
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday directed the three services to provide all possible assistance to the civil administrations in the coastal states of Maharashtra and Gujarat in tackling the situation arising out of cyclone Tauktae.
Singh issued the instruction after reviewing the preparedness of the armed forces to deal with the fallout of the cyclone.
"The defence minister directed the three services to provide all possible assistance to the civil administration to deal with the emerging situation," the defence ministry said.
Mr. Singh carried out the review at a video conference which was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria and Army Chief Gen M M Naravane among others. - PTI
Indian Army puts 180 teams and 9 engineer task forces on standby
The Indian Army said on Monday it has put 180 teams and nine engineer task forces on standby to face any contingency as Cyclone Tauktae is likely to hit the Gujarat coast on Monday evening.
"Sector commanders and Divisional HQ (headquarter) are in touch with District Collectors and the Revenue Commissioner who is the nodal agency for relief activities in Gujarat," the Army said in a statement.
The Army said it has identified likely areas -- talukas as well as districts -- where the impact could be higher and it has geared up its columns to react immediately.
"Focus is to save lives, speedy clearance of routes to ensure movement of oxygen and standby arrangements at COVID hospitals," it mentioned. - PTI
PM Modi speaks to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa CMs, Daman & Diu L-G on cylone response
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa besides the Lieutenant Governor of Daman and Diu regarding preparation and response to deal with Cylone Tauktae.
It is likely to reach Gujarat coast by Monday evening and cross the State coast between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., the IMD said.
Mr. Modi on Saturday reviewed the preparedness to deal with the cyclone's fallout in a high-level meeting which was attended by several ministries and agencies concerned. - PTI
Mumbai airport to remain shut till 8 pm due to cyclone alert
The city's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has extended the suspension of all air services to 8 p.m. from 6 p.m. announced earlier due to the cyclone 'Tauktae'.
This is the third time in the day, the private airport operator has extended the closure of operations after first announcing it for three hours, starting 11 a.m.
"The closure of the flight operations at CSMIA has been extended further till 20:00 hours of May 17," the private airport operator said in the updated statement. - PTI
Two barges with 410 on board adrift off Mumbai
Cyclone Tauktae: A view from Worli side of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link after traffic was closed on it following heavy winds, in Mumbai, Maharashtra on May 17, 2021.
"On receipt of a request for assistance for Barge 'P305' adrift off Heera Oil Fields in Bombay High area with 273 personnel onboard, warship INS Kochi was sailed with a despatch for Search and Rescue (SAR) assistance," a Navy spokesperson said in Mumbai.
The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of Mumbai.
"Several other ships have been readied for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) tasking in the wake of Cyclone Tauktae that has wreaked havoc along the West coast of India," he said.
"In response to another SOS received from Barge 'GAL Constructor' with 137 people on board about 8 nautical miles from Mumbai, warship INS Kolkata has been sailed with despatch to render assistance," the spokesperson said.
Gale-force winds, heavy rainfall and high tidal waves swept the coastal belts of Maharashtra and Goa as Cyclone Tauktae hurtled northwards towards Gujarat. — PTI
Railways puts its emergency response teams, vehicles on high alert
The railways on Monday said its emergency response teams and vehicles are on high alert in view of Cyclone Tauktae intensifying into an "extremely severe cyclonic storm".
The cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea led to very strong winds blowing at a speed of 114 kmph in Mumbai Monday afternoon, civic officials said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cyclone Tauktae has now intensified into an "extremely severe cyclonic storm", and is likely to reach Gujarat coast by Monday evening and cross the state coast between 8 pm and 11 pm.
The Ministry of Railways, in a press statement, said the zonal and divisional control rooms are monitoring the situation and are constantly in touch with all railway stations in Southern Railway, South Western Railway, Konkan Railway, Central Railway and Western Railway.
Railway divisions and zones are also in constant touch with state governments to monitor and plan for any contingency, it said.
“All emergency response of railways like Accident Relief Trains (ART), Medical Relief Vans (MRV) and Tower Wagons are put on high alert and readiness for quick turnout in case of any contingency. Reserves of stone dust, boulders, among others, are kept ready for attending to any breaches.
“Special intensive patrolling of vulnerable sections as done in monsoon season is being carried out. Wind speeds are being monitored constantly in vulnerable sections and speed restrictions of train movement being imposed as per instructions,” the statement said. - PTI
Aaditya Thackeray reviews situation in Mumbai
Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday paid a visit to the BMC's disaster management cell here to review the situation arising out of the cyclonic storm Tauktae and said the authorities are doing everything to keep the people of the city safe.
Gusty winds and heavy showers lashed Mumbai and its neighbouring areas on Monday due to the impact of the "very severe cyclonic storm" Tauktae which has barreled towards the Gujarat coast.
Strong winds and heavy rains uprooted trees and disrupted suburban train services in the metropolis, officials said.
Visited the Disaster Management room of the @mybmc to take an update on the current situation of the cyclone Tauktae.
"We are doing everything we can to keep you safe. For your safety, stay home. For any emergencies, call 1916, Thackeray, also the guardian minister for Mumbai suburbs, tweeted.
He said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started clearing fallen trees and added the Shiv Sena- ruled civic body is working to restore normalcy at the earliest. - PTI
PM Modi calls up Gujarat CM to take stock of preparations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening called up Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and took stock of the preparations to deal with cyclonic storm Tauktae which has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm and is expected to reach the Gujarat coast in the night.
The Prime Minister assured the State government of all possible help to deal with the situation.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening called up Chief Minister Vijay Rupani over the phone and sought details of preparation by the state government to deal with cyclone Tauktae," the Chief Minister's Office said in a release.
The Chief Minister apprised the PM about the precautionary steps being taken by the State government to tackle the situation, it said. - PTI
121 villages affected in Karnataka, six dead
Six people have lost their lives so far in the Cyclone Tauktae-hit coastal and surrounding Malnad districts of Karnataka, officials said on Monday.
According to a situation report by Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority officials, till this morning, 121 villages and 22 taluks have been affected by the cyclone so far.
A total of 547 people have been evacuated till now, it said, 290 people are currently taking shelter in the 13 relief camps that have been opened.
Damages to a total of 333 houses, 644 poles, 147 transformers, 3,004.3 meters of lines, 57 km of road, 57 nets and 104 boats have been reported so far, it said adding that, agriculture crop loss has been estimated in about 30 ha till now and horticulture crop loss is about 2.87 ha.
The Met department has forecasted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning with light to moderate spells of rain and gusty winds speed reaching 30-40 kmph is likely to affect Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Haveri, Dharwad, Chamarajanagara, Mysuru, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts. - PTI
PM Modi speaks to Uddhav Thackeray
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on cyclone Tauktae related situation in state.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Thackeray took stock of the situation in Mumbai, Thane and other coastal districts of the state.
According to an official statement, 12,420 people living in coastal stretches of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Raigad districts have been shifted to safer places. These include 8,380 people in Raigad, 3,896 in Ratnagiri and 144 in Sindhudurg.
2 dead in Konkan region
Two persons died in Maharashtra's Konkan region in separate incidents related to the severe cyclonic storm Tauktae.
Two boats anchored at the Anandwadi harbour in Sindhudurg district drowned, an official statement said, adding that seven sailors were on board the two vessels. A sailor, identified as Rajaram Kadam, from Devgad taluka in the district died in the incident, while three others were missing. The three other sailors were safe.
Besides, one person died in a rain-related incident in Raigad district, state minister Aditi Tatkare said in a post on Twitter.
Bombay High barge de-anchors, but all 261 onboard safe: ONGC
State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Monday said a barge with 261 of its personnel deployed for offshore drilling in Bombay High in the Arabian Sea got de-anchored and started drifting because of the cyclonic storm Tauktae.
However, all the 261 people on board barge P305 are accounted for at 1300 hrs and barge has also been "steadied", an official spokesperson told PTI.
"Ahead of the cyclone, the barge was anchored at a safe distance but with the impact of the cyclone, it got de-anchored and drifted. However, it has been steadied again and is brought under control," the spokesperson said.
Raigad receives 23.42 mm rains, 839 homes damaged
Raigad in coastal Maharashtra received 23.42 millimetres if rainfall till 9 a.m. on May 17 in the wake of cyclone Tauktae, with the region also experiencing gusty winds since midnight that partially damaged 839 houses.
A release from the District Collector's office said 8,383 people belonging to 2,263 families staying in homes along the seafront had been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
It said a 50-year-old woman, identified as Neeta Naik, died in Uran in a wall collapse while selling vegetables by the roadside.
A red alert has been sounded in the district, the release said.
Local train services between Ghatkopar and Vikhroli affected briefly
Local trains services of the Central Railway were disrupted between suburban Ghatkopar and Vikhroli for about half-an-hour as a tree fell on an overhead wire while a train was heading towards neighbouring Thane, a railway spokesperson said.
Services on the harbour line, that provides rail connectivity to Navi Mumbai, were also affected after a vinyl banner fell on an overhead wire between Chunabhatti and Guru Tej Bahadur stations around 11.45 a.m.
The banner was removed after about half-an-hour and train services were resumed, he said. Due to the strong wind, some plastic sheets covering the roof of the common passenger area between the suburban and main lines at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) were blown away in the morning, he said.
The area was cordoned off and the railway staff immediately attended to it, he said.
Mumbai Airport operations shut until 4 p.m.
Due cyclone alert, Mumbai airport operations closure has been extended up to 1600 hours on May 17, 2021.
Meanwhile, the IMD has upgraded warning to extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai for next few hours. Gusty wind to continue and escalate upto 120 kmph.
At 12.15 p.m. BMC's automated weather centre recorded a wind speed of 111 kmph at Colaba in South Mumbai.
At 2 p.m. it recorded a wind speed of 114 kmph. This is the highest wind speed in Mumbai as of now.
Subway closed
Andheri subway has been temporarily closed for commute due to water logging. The Mumbai Police, through a tweet has requested people to stay indoors. "If moving out is absolutely unavoidable, use alternate route," it added.
Three Mumbai-bound IndiGo, SpiceJet flights diverted
Three city-bound flights operated by budget carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet were diverted on Monday following suspension of operations at the Mumbai airport till 2 p.m. in the wake of the Tuaktae cyclone alert, a statement said.
A city-bound IndiGo flight was diverted to Hyderabad, while a SpiceJet flight was diverted to Surat, due to the suspension of air services at the airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) said in the statement.
Besides, one IndiGo flight was sent back to Lucknow, it said.
Maharashtra CM reviews situation
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday took stock of the situation in Mumbai, Thane and other coastal districts of the state.
According to an official statement, 12,420 people living in coastal stretches of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Raigad districts have been shifted to safer places.
These include 8,380 people in Raigad, 3,896 in Ratnagiri and 144 in Sindhudurg.
Mr. Thackeray reviewed the situation in Mumbai, Thane and neighbouring areas and instructed authorities to ensure that the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the region is not affected due to the cyclonic storm, the statement said.
Mumbai, Thane & Palghar districts are on orange alert while Raigad district is on red alert.
Gujarat evacuates one lakh people
The Veraval coast in Gujarat. Cyclone Tauktae is expected to make its landfall here.
As a precautionary measure, Gujarat administration shifted over one lakh people living in coastal areas of 17 districts to safer places till late Sunday night, and the work resumed on Monday morning.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, in the 24-hour period ending at 6 am on Monday, 84 talukas of 21 districts of Gujarat received light rainfall, mainly caused due to the cyclonic disturbances.
Six talukas received over one inch rainfall, it said.
High waves, rainfall forecast for States on west coast
High waves measuring between 3.5 m and 7.8 m up to 10 km off the coast, tidal waves of up to 3 m and windspeeds ranging between 50 kmph and 145 kmph accompanied by rainfall — light moderate to heavy — has been forecast for States on the west coast in the wake of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Tauktae (pronounced Tau’Te) as it is likely to intensify further in the next 24 hours, according to a joint forecast bulletin issued by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) here and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
All nine crew from Coromondel Supporter IX Tug rescued
All nine crew members stranded on Coromondel Supporter IX Tug that had run aground at Mulki Rocks were airlifted to safety on Monday morning.
Karnataka Coast Commander DIG S B Venkatesh gave this info to a team comprising district in charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojari, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and DC K V Rajendra who met him seeking immediate action to rescue the stranded crew.
Mr Venkatesh told the team that Navy helicopters were deployed to airlift the stranded crew from the vessel located about 6 km off Kaup coast in Udupi district.
No vaccination in Mumbai today
In view of the warning over Cyclone Tauktae, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has suspended its vaccination drive for Monday, postponing it to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday instead.
The BMC had on Friday announced that there would be no inoculation on May 15 and 16 considering the India Meteorological Department’s cyclone warning.
Coast Guard rescues 12 fishermen off Kochi
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday said it rescued 12 fishermen stranded around 35 nautical miles off the Kochi coast amid rough seas due to the incoming Cyclone Tauktae on the night of May 16.
"Indian fishing boat Jesus stranded 35 nautical miles off Kochi. ICG ship Aryaman rescued the boat with 12 crew. Boat taken under tow by the ICG ship braving rough seas and brought to Kochi on May 16 night. All crew safe and healthy," the ICG said on Twitter.
Traffic closed on Bandra-Worli sea link
In view of the high speed winds, the Bandra-Worli sea-link was closed for traffic and people were asked to take alternate routes, a senior official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
As a precautionary measure, the monorail services in the city were suspended for the day, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said.
This was a "prompt decision" taken for the safety of commuters, the MMRDA said.
Mumbai Airport shut from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The operations at the city's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will remain suspended from 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. on Monday in view of the cyclone alert, the private airport has notified.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, warning of very heavy rains at isolated places with strong winds on Monday as cyclone Tuaktae is likely to pass close to the Mumbai coast.
“The operations at Mumbai Airport need to be closed from 11 a.m. local time to 2 p.m. local time of May 17,” CSMIA said in a notification.
Overnight showers, high speed winds in Mumbai
Gusty winds and rains lashed Mumbai and its neighbouring areas overnight and on Monday morning as the "very severe cyclonic storm" Tauktae was heading towards Gujarat, officials said.
There was no water-logging anywhere in the metropolis, but trees were uprooted at several places, they said, adding that no casualty was reported so far.
According to civic officials, around 34 incidents of tree fall were reported in Mumbai since Sunday, but there no report of any injury to anyone.
The civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has deployed officers of its transport and power wings at various locations, including control rooms for disaster management.io
