Assuring all support from the central government to rebuild all infrastructure that suffered severe damage by cyclone Tauktae, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced financial assistance of £100 million for immediate relief activities in Gujarat. Meanwhile, bodies of 26 personnel on board Barge Papaa (P-305) that sunk amid the cyclone fury were recovered from the Arabian Sea by Indian Navy warships engaged in search and rescue operations. The bodies were found floating 50-60 nautical miles off the Mumbai coast.
A total of 273 personnel were earlier said to have been on board, but the ONGC, which had deployed the barge, revised the count to 261 on Wednesday. The search operations for the missing 49 will continue, officials said. Five Navy ships -INS Kochi, Kolkata, Beas, Betwa and Teg - P8I maritime surveillance aircraft, and Chetak and Sea King helicopters have been engaged in the search at sea which began on Monday, with 1,500-plus personnel pressed into service. The Navy said they were still hopeful of finding survivors.
The death toll in Gujarat, meanwhile, climbed to 53 as the devastation began surfacing after the 28 hours of cyclone fury that swept the state since Monday night. Highest 16 deaths were reported from Amreli, Gir Somnath (9), Bhavnagar (8), Ahmedabad (7). The government said that 18 persons have been injured while the number of those missing is yet to be assessed.
After conducting an aerial survey of cyclone-ravaged parts of the state, PM Modi also announced ex gratia payment of Rs 200,000 for the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for those injured due to cyclone Tauktae. In addition, the state government will pay an ex gratia of Rs 400,000 to the next of kin of those who died in the cyclone and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
The PM surveyed the Union territory of Diu, Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district, Mahuva taluka of Bhavnagar and Jafrabad taluka of Amreli. He was accompanied by CM Vijay Rupani, chief secretary Anil Mukim and additional chief secretary, revenue, Pankaj Kumar.
Preliminary estimates by the state government have pegged losses inflicted by the cyclone on the horticulture and agriculture sector at more than £108.5 million. Majority of damage worth £71 million was sustained in the horticulture sector with widespread destruction to mango, coconut and banana cultivation. In the agriculture sector, losses were pegged at £37.5million for damage to bajra, green gram, black gram and sesame .
Inter-ministerial team to visit Gujarat
The central government will shortly send an inter-ministerial team to visit Gujarat and assess the extent of damage, based on which further assistance will be givenPM , Modi said in Ahmedabad. After the aerial survey, he held a meeting with top officials of the state administration at Ahmedabad airport to review the relief and rehabilitation works underway in the state and Diu. Modi said that the Centre is working closely with all affected state governments in the wake of post-cyclonic situation. Immediate financial assistance for these states would also be given after the respective state governments share their assessments with the Centre.
The storm has left a trail of destruction in the Saurashtra region after it made landfall near Una in Gir Somnath district on Monday, bringing along with it very strong winds and heavy rainfall that damaged nearly 16,500 houses and uprooted over 40,000 trees. Power outages were reported from 5,951 villages, including 52 Covid-19 hospitals and 13 oxygen plants, while damage to 196 roads was also reported from across the region. Several rivers in the Saurashtra region are in spate following the heavy rainfall since Monday.
The cyclonic storm damaged a sea-facing safety wall and iron gates near the iconic Gateway of India and some jetty stones in the vicinity also got dislodged due to its impact, civic officials said.
The main structure of the historic monument did not suffer any damage, but a portion of the footpath near it caved in, they said.
