The Union Home Ministe,r Shri Rajnath Singh held a high level meeting on Tuesday in regard with the landfall of Cyclone Vardah in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. After the review, he expressed his satisfaction on the action of Central and State agencies in preparing those in the coastal areas ahead of landfall. The foresight and precautions taken for the devastating cyclone helped in reducing the casualties.
In this meeting, he also ordered the Inter-Ministerial Central team to be ready to be dispatched to Tamil Nadu immediately on receiving the Memorandum from the State Government. On Monday 8 NDRF teams with 268 rescuers and 29 boats were deployed to Tamil Nadu. Three more teams with 108 rescues and 15 boats were sent to Chennai. Six NDRF teams of 205 rescuers along with 20 boats are deployed in Andhra Pradesh. All the flights from Chennai Airport have become operational on Tuesday morning.
A total of 297 relief centers have been set up in Tamil Nadu, out of which 104 are operational. 13,578 people have been evacuated to shelters from the coast which minimized the casualties in Tamil Nadu to 16. In Andhra Pradesh, 59 relief centers have been set up and are in operation. 10,960 persons were evacuated from low-lying areas. Human loss reported in landfall in Andhra Pradesh is 2 in Chittoor.
The Cyclone Vardah has shifted south-westwards with a wind speed of 20 kmph. It has turned into a low depression and is expected to dissipate by the next day.
