Cyclone Tauktae: Navy teams deployed to aid rescue ops in Kerala, IAF aircraft on standby

New Delhi, May 15 (UNI) In wake of impending cyclone Tauktae, the Indian Navy on Saturday said that the relief team from Southern Naval Command has undertaken the rescue operations in the area of Chellanam coast of Kerala.
Three naval diving teams and one Quick Reaction Team from the Southern Naval Command swung into action to provide assistance to flood-hit villages of Malaghapadi, Kampanipadi and Maruvakad in Chellanam, the officials in Navy said.
The teams undertook the provisioning of food and water and shifting of people trapped in houses to the relief camp at the St Mary’s High School in Chellanam in harsh weather conditions.
Keeping its aircraft on standby, the Indian Air Force has readied 16 transport aircraft and 18 helicopters on standby to deal with the aftermath of cyclone Tauktae, which is predicted to bring very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall along the western coast of India in the next few days.
The IMD on Saturday said that they cyclone is to turn into a ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’ during the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to move north northwestwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Naliya around May 18 afternoon/evening.
As part of its relief and rescue operation, the IAF’s IL-76 transport aircraft has airlifted 127 personnel and 11 tonnes of cargo from Bhatinda in Punjab to Jamnagar in Gujarat.
Another IAF transport aircraft C-130 aircraft airlifted 25 personnel and 12.3 tonnes of cargo from Bhatinda to Rajkot in Gujarat while two more C-130 aircraft airlifted 126 personnel and 14 tonnes of cargo from Bhubaneswar in Odisha to Jamnagar in Gujarat.
According to the weather department, the impact of the cyclone will be felt in the southeast, east-central and northeast Arabian Sea. Heavy rainfall is expected in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Additionally, IAF Covid relief operations have also been focusing on Covid management as well in these coastal areas for the coming few days.