Chennai

Chairing the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba discussed with the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh through video conference, on their precautionary measures taken in these regions bracing for the Cyclone.

The meet also had Secretaries and Representatives of Railway, Electricity boards, Home, Civil Aviation, Shipping, Telecommunications, Health, NDMA and NDRF in the discussion, who briefed on arrangements from their respective departments.

Gauba informed that the goal is to ensure zero fatalities. The Chief Secretaries too briefed on their preparedness to face this cyclone.

Also, curbs on fishing activities must be enforced strictly, added Gauba.

"The Depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal about 600 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 630 km south-southeast of Chennai. It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours," the IMD said.

This development would result in heavy rainfall in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur and extremely heavy rainfall in Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur and Ariyalur over the next 24 hours.

Inputs from ANI