The rains witnessed in Thane district due to cyclone Tauktae earlier this week caused damage to over 2,100 houses, Collector Rajesh Narvekar said on Friday. He said 25 houses were completely destroyed, of which 22 were pucca dwellings, most of them in Ambernath, and the total loss on this account was in the range of Rs 24 lakh, he said.
“A total of 2,103 houses suffered at least 15 per cent damage, and the loss may be to the tune of Rs 1.27 crore. Besides, 18 cattle sheds were hit and crops on 363 hectares were destroyed, and the compensation for the latter would be Rs 65 lakh,” he said.
The effect of the cyclone has also resulted in Vihar and Tulsi lakes receiving 210 and 178 millimetres of rainfall, respectively, between May 17 and 20, the highest among the seven lakes that supply drinking water to Mumbai, civic officials said on Friday.
A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation release said Modak Sagar received 102 mm rain, Middle Vaitarna 62mm, Tansa 59 mm and Bhatsa received 29mm rain during this period, while Upper Vaitarna did not got any rain.
In the eastern coast, meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has begun positioning its teams in West Bengal and Odisha as Cyclone Yaas is likely to hit these states on the eastern coast of the country around May 26-27, officials said on Friday. Some of the teams dispatched to undertake evacuation, rescue and restoration work in states affected by Cyclone Tauktae on the western coast are being called back, they said.
NDRF Director General S N Pradhan tweeted that the force has decided to “airlift” West Bengal and Odisha-based teams of the force in view of Cyclone Yaas and its “possible impact” in the coastal districts of the two states. The exact number of NDRF teams to be earmarked for the latest cyclone will be decided as per inputs received from the India Meteorological Department. The situation is developing, the officials said.
Odisha urges Navy, Coast Guard to be prepared
The Odisha government on Friday urged the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard to be prepared for the emerging situation, official sources said. Odisha’s Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra, after a meeting with senior officials, said that the state administration is geared up to meet the eventuality if cyclone ‘Yaas’ has any impact on the state.
Though IMD is yet to inform about the possible path of the system, its speed and landfall location, the state has been preparing to meet the challenge beforehand, he said. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena, who held a series of meetings on the matter, spoke to collectors of 14 districts, different line departments, power distribution companies, telecom providers, authorities of NDRF, ODRAF, Odisha police, state Fire Service and apprised them about their role during the crisis.
The Centre, meanwhile, has asked Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands to ensure that health facilities are stocked with essential medicines and supplies to meet any exigencies in the wake of Cyclone Yaas, which is expected to make a landfall later this month.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to the chief secretaries of the states and UTs, saying public health challenge, already posed by the coronavirus pandemic, may be compounded due to direct impact of COVID and public health risks posed by water, vector and airborne diseases that may arise in the community or in displaced population living in camps or temporary shelter settings.
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