New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to chair a high-level meeting here on Saturday to review the preparedness for Cyclone Hudhud, which is fast approaching the eastern coast of India.
According to sources, Prime Minister Modi will be briefed during the meeting about the precautionary steps that have been taken in case of any eventualities arising out of the landfall of the cyclone.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) held a meeting earlier today under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth and reviewed the preparedness for relief and rescue operations in the wake of the cyclonic storm 'Hudhud' advancing towards the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Rescue teams of the Indian Navy have been prepared for immediate deployment in anticipation of Cyclone Hudhud.
"Considerable effort has been made to mobilize all the resources. The navy is fully ready. In addition, there is an NDRF team which has come. There is an army team of 200 personnel from Hyderabad, which are all being coordinated with the district administration. The navy will provide relief at the first opportunity to mitigate the ill-effects of the disaster," Rear Admiral Ajendra B Singh told ANI in Visakhapatnam.
"Ships of the eastern fleet are ready for encountering the ill-effects of Cyclone Hudhud. Four ships, as of now, have been fully loaded and are prepared. Other ships have also been placed at short notice, to provide whatever assistance is required," he added.
Tens of thousands of people from low-lying areas of coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh have been evacuated as the state intensified preparations to face Cyclone Hudhud .
Officials in the two states also said they had set up 24-hour emergency control rooms and cancelled the leave of civil servants working in high-risk areas. Nine of Andhra Pradesh's 13 districts and 16 of Odisha's 30 districts are on alert.
Train services have also been badly affected in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
