National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Friday reviewed preparedness of State governments and Central Ministries/ departments for impending cyclone ‘Michaung’ in Bay of Bengal.
Fishermen have been asked not to venture out into the sea. Adequate shelters, power supply, medicine and emergency services are being kept in readiness, as per a communique issued by Cabinet Secretariat said.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has made 18 teams available toTamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry and 10 additional teams have been kept ready. Rescue and relief teams of the Coast Guard, Army and Navy along with ships and aircrafts have been kept ready on standby, it said.
In the meeting, Director General, India Meteorological Department (IMD) briefed the committee about the current status of cyclone ‘Michaung’. The depression over Southeast and adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past 6-hour and lay centered at 1130 hours of today over the same region near Latitude 9.5°N and Longitude 86.0°E, about 730 km east-southeast of Puducherry, 740 km east-southeast of Chennai, 860 km southeast of Nellore, 930 km southeast of Bapatla and 910 km southeast of Machilipatnam, the communique said.
As per communique, it is likely to move west-northwestwards, intensify into a Deep Depression by 2nd and further into a Cyclonic Storm over Southwest Bay of Bengal around December 3. Further, it would move northwestwards and reach near south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by December 4 forenoon.
Thereafter, it would move nearly northwards almost parallel to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross South Andhra Pradesh during forenoon of December 5 between Nellore and Machilipatnam as a Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 80-90 Kmph gusting to 100 Kmph, it said.
Reviewing preparedness measures of the central agencies and Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry, Cabinet Secretary stressed that all necessary preventive and precautionary measures should be taken by the authorities of States governments.
Cabinet Secretary assured the Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry that all the central agencies are ready and will be available for their assistance.