Gujarat braces for Cyclone Ockhi landfall, PM asks party members to help people in affected areas
New Delhi, Nov 5 (IBNS): With Cyclone Ockhi expected to make a landfall over Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked his party members to offer assistance to people in the affected areas, according to media reports on Tuesday.
"With #CycloneOckhi expected to make a landfall in Gujarat, I appeal to @BJP4Gujarat Karyakartas to focus on helping people across the state. Our Karyakartas should devote themselves to providing all possible assistance and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow citizens," the PM tweeted.
With #CycloneOckhi expected to make a landfall in Gujarat, I appeal to @BJP4Gujarat Karyakartas to focus on helping people across the state. Our Karyakartas should devote themselves to providing all possible assistance and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow citizens.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017
In another tweet he said, "Continuously monitoring the situation arising in various parts of the country due to #CycloneOckhi. Spoke to all relevant authorities and officials. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected."
In a tweet on Tuesday afternoon, Skymet Weather said, "Severe #CycloneOckhi has now weakened into a #Cyclone and is currently over East-Central Arabian Sea about 390 km SSW of #Surat and 230 km WSW of #Mumbai."
Continuously monitoring the situation arising in various parts of the country due to #CycloneOckhi. Spoke to all relevant authorities and officials. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017
Cyclone Ockhi is expected to make landfall near Surat and the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat as a deep depression early on Wednesday, media reports said quoting the Met Office.
The Met office also said that Gujarat is very likely to experience a wet spell during the next four days.
"Heavy rainfall might occur in Valsad, Surat, Navsari, Bharuch, Dang, Tapi, Amreli, Gir-Sonath and Bhavnagar districts on December 5," it said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held an urgent meeting with senior officials to take stock of the preparedness, media reported.
High alert has been issued in Gujarat and Maharashtra in view of Cyclone Ockhi . Sea conditions to remain rough to very rough along and off north Maharashtra and South Gujarat coasts till Wednesday, media reported.
Ockhi, named by Bangladesh under the the tropical cyclone naming system initiated by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in 2000, battered parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep islands and claimed over 20 lives in the southern states.
Owing to the expected landfall in Gujarat, election rallies to be addressed by BJP chief Amit Shah and others near the Saurashtra coast in Rajula, Mahuva and Sihor have also been cancelled, reported NDTV.
Meanwhile, as the storm hit Maharashtra,the state government has declared precautionary holiday for schools and colleges in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Sindhudurga, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts.
Image: AIRNews/Twitter
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