PM Modi holds review meeting on Cyclone Yaas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a meeting to review the preparedness for Cyclone Yaas, which will make landfall on India's eastern coast on May 26. The cyclone is expected to hit the land between Sundarbans in West Bengal and north Odisha. Senior government officials, representatives from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Secretaries from Telecom, Power, Civil Aviation, Earth Sciences Ministries were present at the meeting. Home Minister Amit Shah, other ministers and senior officials attended the meeting.

PM Modi urged officials to reach out to people, sensitise them, make sure they are evacuated in time and minimise the power outages. He directed senior officers to work in close co-ordination with states to ensure safe evacuation of people from high-risk areas. Modi also instructed all concerned departments to ensure timely evacuation of those involved in off-shore activities. The PM said his office, directed officials that advisories and instructions on do's and dont's during the cyclone be made available in easy to understand and local language to citizens of the affected districts.

The NDRF has positioned 46 teams. The Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief, search and rescue operations. As a measure of precaution, the Northern Railway has temporarily cancelled over a dozen trains from the national capital to and from Bhubaneswar and Puri in Odisha. Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Balasore districts are likely to be worst affected by the cyclonic storm, Umashankar Das, Deputy Director of India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar said on Sunday.