Cyclone: Coast Guard takes all precautionary measures

Chennai, Oct 11: Coast Guard Eastern region has taken all precautionary measures to face Cyclone Hudhud, expected to reach the northern coastline around Visakhapatnam tomorrow, Commander Coast Guard Eastern region, Inspector General, Satya Prakash Sharma.

"We have already cautioned and warned all the mariners and fishermen to return back through the services of state government and through radio bulletins ", Sharma told reporters here. He said the Coast Guard has launched aircrafts and ships, to bring back any fishermen who would have not otherwise received a message of recall.

According to IMD, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in the next 48 hours in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as 'Hudhud', which has developed into a very severe cyclone, nears Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur.

"We are also on standby to provide post cyclone rescue operation if in case any ships gets stranded in high seas.", he said. Responding to a query, he said, "we are going to provide our full support in terms of the boats and crafts for any rescue operations which will take place over land."

All logistics support will be provided to the district and state administration and all those measures have been taken in advance, he said. Sharma was here for the formal commissioning of Hovercraft H-197 which was inducted in to service by Chief Justice of Madras High Court, Sanjay Kishan Kaul.

Sharma said the hovercraft will be based at Mandapam to operate in shallow waters as well as in the Gulf of Mannar. To a query he said, in the last three years, the Coast Guard Eastern command has apprehended 93 foreign fishing vessel with 503 crew fishing in Indian waters and 48,000 kg of fish were recovered.

PTI