PM holds emergency meeting to review preparedness for 'Hudhud'

In an emergency high-level meeting to review preparedness for cyclone Hudhud, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked officials to ensure that rescue and relief operations proceed smoothly and people are informed about the cyclone on a real-time basis.

Modi also asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to be in touch with the Chief Ministers of the states likely to be affected by it, an official statement said.

"He instructed senior officers of the union government to maintain close contact and coordination with officers of the affected states to ensure that relief and rescue operations proceed smoothly.”

"He said suitable arrangements should be made to inform people about the cyclone on a real-time basis," it said.

The meeting was attended by the cabinet secretary, the principal secretary to the PM, the home secretary, the defence secretary and other senior officials from the Indian Meteorological Department and the PMO.

Modi was briefed on evacuation and other precautionary and preparatory measures being undertaken for coping with the cyclone.

The measures include deployment of teams from the armed forces and NDRF, depletion of reservoirs to accommodate cyclonic rainwater, positioning of boats, swimmers and relief camps and standby systems to restore power and telecom services, the statement said.

Over 2 lakh people living in and around the vulnerable coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have been evacuated with cyclone 'Hudhud' set to hit the two states on Sunday with winds gusting up to 195 kmph.