Konkan region on high alert over Cyclone Tauktae

The Indian Meteorological Department on Saturday said Cyclone Tauktae will pass through the coastal Goa and Konkan region of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The India Meteorological Department had said on Friday that the depression in the Arabian Sea is likely to intensify into a 'very severe cyclonic storm' on May 17. (Photo | Albin Mathew, EPS)

MUMBAI:  The Indian Meteorological Department on Saturday said Cyclone Tauktae will pass through the coastal Goa and Konkan region of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The cyclonic storm had reached Ratnagiri of Konkan area on Saturday evening accompanied by heavy rain.

The cyclonic storm will not hit Mumbai, but the metropolis will see heavy rainfall.

“There is no danger of Tauktae to Maharashtra. The cyclone is 350 Kilometer away from the Goa coast. There will be a direct impact of this storm on Maharashtra like the earlier NISARG cyclone. However, there will be stormy winds, heavy to heavy rainfall in Konkan region of Maharashtra,” said Shibhangi Bhute from Indian Meteorological department, Mumbai.

She said that the next two days are important for the people who are staying in the Konkan region. “We have directed them not to go out in the sea and asked the administration to prepare to tackle the aftereffect of the storm.” There will be rough sea and the tall tower constructions, crane operation is careful from the tall trees. In Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting on preparedness in the face of the cyclone.

Fishermen walk away from the shore at Badhwar park jetty in Mumbai on Saturday due to formation of Cyclone Tauktae | PTI

He instructed officials to ensure maintenance of essential services like power, telecommunications, health and drinking water. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force are being stationed at Gir Somnath, Amreli, Porbandar, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Kutch, Morbi, Surat, Gandhinagar, Valsad, Bhavnag a r, Nav s a r i , Bharuch and Junagarh districts of Gujarat , an NDRF spokesperson said.

“The state government has made full preparations and a control room has been set up. Administrations of the districts in Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions, which are likely to be affected by the cyclone, have been alerted. Teams of the NDRF are reaching the state,” Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told reporters. The Union Home Ministry in an advisory to the Gujarat government said the “very severe cyclonic storm” is likely to cause damage to thatched houses, roads, power and communication lines especially in the districts of Saurashtra region.