Cyclone Tauktae: PM Modi calls up Gujarat CM to take stock of preparations

Ahmedabad, May 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening called up Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and took stock of the preparations to deal with cyclonic storm Tauktae which has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm and is expected to reach the Gujarat coast in the night.

The prime minister assured the state government of all possible help to deal with the situation.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening called up Chief Minister Vijay Rupani over the phone and sought details of preparation by the state government to deal with cyclone Tauktae," the Chief Minister's Office said in a release.

The chief minister apprised the PM about the precautionary steps being taken by the state government to tackle the situation, it said. The Gujarat government has so far evacuated to safer places 1.5 lakh people living in the 10-km radius of coastal areas of different districts that are likely to bear the brunt of the cyclonic storm, Rupani had said.

A total of 44 teams of the National Disaster Response Force along with personnel of the police and local officials have been deployed along the coast in various districts.

As per the latest update given by the IMD, cyclone Tauktae, which has now intensified into an "extremely severe cyclonic storm", is likely to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva, around 20 km east of the Union territory of Diu between 8 pm and 11 pm on Monday with a maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph.