Cyclone Gaja is expected to hit the Tamil Nadu coast on Thursday near Nagapattinam in southern Tamil Nadu tonight. The weather office said Gaja will intensify into a ‘Severe Cyclonic Storm’ before it weakens and hits the coast between Pamban and Cuddalore. The Navy has been put on high alert to be ready for any assistance. Fishermen in the region have been asked to not venture out to the sea.
#CycloneGaja: While moving westsouthwestwards thereafter, it is likely to cross #Tamilnadu coast between Pamban and Cuddalore , around Nagapattinam during 15th November evening/night as a Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph.
IMD
— NDMA India (@ndmaindia) November 15, 2018
Schools and colleges in five districts in the state and Puducherry are closed on Thursday. As cyclone Gaja has gathered strength in the Bay of Bengal, Ramanathapuram district collector Veera Raghava Rao said that they are fully equipped to deal with any situation. ‘Gaja”, which means elephant in Sanskrit, is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds in coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Some Dos and Donts to keep in mind
#CycloneGaja #TamilNadu #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/qtcaHky24z
— NDMA India (@ndmaindia) November 13, 2018
#CycloneGaja #TamilNadu #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/WDBlDzmfrR
— NDMA India (@ndmaindia) November 15, 2018
“In the wake of cyclone Gaja, apart from civil administration preparedness, we have also got help from Indian Coast Guard who have all the required equipment to deal with such situations,” Rao told media here.
Tourist movement to Dhanushkodi is restricted. Cyclone Gaja is expected to make a landfall between Pamban and Cuddalore tomorrow. In an attempt to mitigate damage to properties and human lives, the state administration headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has planned to evacuate around 20,000 people residing on the coastal line and moving them to relief camps.
For the safety of the people, the state government has also formed 19 interdepartmental zonal teams for the rescue operations. These teams have been comprised of several officers from important departments such as police, fire, Public Works Department, Electricity Department,etc.
Not only Tamil Nadu, states liked Andhra Pradesh and union territory Puducherry are also bracing for the impact of the cyclone which is likely to bring heavy downpour and strong winds to several parts of the region for next couple of days.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red warning, the highest category which denotes ‘take action’ for the eastern coastal regions on November 15, stating that the cyclonic storm that originated in the Bay of Bengal will likely intensify into a severe one in the next 24 hours. “Gale wind speeds could reach up to 100 kmph along and off the coasts of north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,’ the IMD said.