On the 19th of May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi aerially surveyed the situation of cyclone hit Gujarat. After his survey, Mr. Modi announced financial aid and compensations.
According to sources, the Central Government announced Rs. 1,000 crore assistance to Gujarat, which was hit by the high intensity cyclone Tauktae. The cyclone was named Tauktae by Myanmar. The word is from the Burmese language, which means a highly vocal lizard. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) characterised Tauktae as an extremely severe cyclonic storm, which made landfall in Gujarat on the evening of the 18th of May. The cyclone left 45 people dead in Gujarat, uprooted trees and damaged several houses and roads.
On the evening of the 19th of May, Mr. Narendra Modi surveyed Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district, Mahuva taluka of Bhavnagar and Jafrabad taluka of Amreli district besides Diu.
In addition to the Rs. 1,000 crore financial aid, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakhs to the families who lost their kin in the cyclone in all affected states. In addition, Rs. 50,000 would be given to the people who are seriously injured due to the cyclone in all affected states including Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan, Gujarat and union territories Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The announcement of the financial assistance for Gujarat was made after PM Modi held a review meeting with the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. During the meeting Vijay Rupani and top officials presented the details of the damages caused by the cyclone. Highlighting the details, Mr. Rupani said, over 16,000 houses were damaged, more than 40,000 trees and over 70,000 electric poles uprooted, while 5,951 villages faced total power blackout due to the cyclonic storm in Gujarat.
Mr. Narendra Modi reviewed the relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken in Gujarat and Diu.
It is said, besides Rs. 1,000 crores assistance, Gujarat is likely to get additional assistance after an inter ministerial team’s visit. The team which visited Gujarat would soon submit its assessment, following which the Central Government would decide the financial aid.
In addition, PM Modi emphasised the need of scientific study related to disaster management with modern communication techniques.
Meanwhile, Tauktae is characterised as an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Monday. As per the update by the IMD, the cyclone has now weakened into a depression and lay over regions of Rajasthan.