Cyclone Yaas to touch Bengal, Odisha by Wednesday evening

Union Health Ministry has said that the incoming foreign aid to combat COVID-19 is being expeditiously dispatched to the States and Union Territories. The Centre has been receiving international cooperation of COVID-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since 27th of last month from different countries and organisations.The Ministry said, 16 thousand 530 Oxygen Concentrators, around 16 thousand Oxygen Cylinders, 19 Oxygen Generation Plants, more than 11 thousand ventilators and six lakh 60 thousand Remdesivir vials were dispatched so far through road and air. During the last two days, the major consignments received from Qatar, Government of Wales (UK), Canada and Robert Bosch, Germany.

-The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba met on Saturday to review the preparedness of Central and State Governments and agencies to deal with Cyclonic Storm ‘Yaas’ in the Bay of Bengal. Reviewing the preparedness of the Central and State agencies, Gauba stressed that all measures should be taken in a timely manner so that loss of lives and destruction of property is minimized. He emphasised on the early evacuation of people from the areas likely to be affected by the cyclone alongwith ensuring the return of all boats/vessels to the shores, so that there is zero loss of life. Gauba also stressed that safety of COVID patients be ensured and disruption of functioning of COVID Hospitals and Centres avoided. He also advised that steps be taken to maintain the generation and movement of oxygen from the cyclone affected areas, to other parts of the country. He also said that preparatory arrangements should be made to restore power, telecom and other important services. He directed the concerned agencies to work in close co-ordination and extend all requisite assistance to the States & UTs.Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), briefed the committee about the latest status of the cyclone, which is expected to reach the West Bengal and adjoining northern Odisha coasts by Wednesday evening with wind speeds ranging from 155 to 165 kilometres per hour, accompanied by heavy rainfall and storm surges in the coastal districts of these states.

-In a major step towards harnessing exports potential of agricultural and processed food products from north-eastern region, a shipment of 1.2 metric tonne of fresh jackfruit was exported from Tripura to London on Saturday. Jackfruits were sourced from the Tripura based Krishi Sanyoga Agro Producer Company Ltd. The consignment was packed at Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) assisted pack-house facility of Salt Range Supply Chain Solution Ltd and exported by Kiega EXIM Pvt Ltd. This was the first APEDA assisted pack house for exports to European Union, which was approved this month. APEDA regularly carries out promotional activities to bring the North- Eastern states on the export map of India.