agency – With severe cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ making landfall along the Gujarat coast on Monday evening, specialized units of the Indian armed forces were ready for rescue and relief operations.

The Indian Army mobilised columns and Engineer Task Forces (ETF) to the Western Coast from various parts of the country for rescue and relief operations expected to be needed due to severe cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’.According to forecasts and warnings, the Saurashtra region, including the Union Territory of Diu, is likely to bear the maximum impact. Ten integrated teams are ready to provide aid to the civil authority in Diu.

A similar number of teams has been launched to Junagarh area, the Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) said on Twitter, providing details about the preparations.The Indian Navy has also made preparations to tackle cyclone Tauktae.

Eleven Indian Navy Diving Teams have been kept on standby and ready for deployment in case of any request from state authorities. In addition to this, 12 Flood Rescue Teams and medical teams have also been earmarked for immediate response and deployment.Repair and rescue teams have been formed to undertake urgent infrastructural repairs post cyclone, if required.

Three Indian Navy ships (Talwar, Tarkash and Tabar) are on standby with aid and relief material for immediate assistance to affected areas, if required.”Various ships along the Western seaboard are standby with aid and relief material for immediate assistance to affected areas as required and to provide assistance to fishing boats/ small boats stranded due to rough weather” the Ministry of Defence said.

Indian Navy’s Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft on surveillance are continuously broadcasting cyclone warnings to fishermen in the area.Early in the morning, in a swift response to SOS by an Indian vessel adrift in the Arabian Sea, a naval helicopter was dispatched for rescuing the stranded crew of Indian flagged Tug ‘Coromondel Supporter IX’, which was adrift North West of Mangalore in Karnataka.

On Sunday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had deployed two C-130J and one An-32 aircraft for transportation of 167 personnel and 16.5 tonnes of load of NDRF from Kolkata to Ahmedabad.Another C-130J and 2 An-32 aircraft carried 121 NDRF personnel and 11.6 tonnes of load from Vijayawada to Ahmedabad for the same purpose.

Two C-130J aircraft also transported 110 personnel and 15 tonnes of cargo for NDRF from Pune to Ahmedabad.

C-130J aircraft also airlifted NDRF personnel and equipment from Bhubaneswar to Jamnagar on Monday morning.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting to review the preparedness and assistance being provided by the Armed Forces to civil authorities to tackle the situation arising out of Cyclone Tauktae, through video conferencing.

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane, and senior officials attended the meeting.
source : India News Network