Cyclone Gaja likely to make landfall tonight

As the cyclonic storm Gaja is approaching the coast of South Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and is poised to cross coast on the night of November 15, the Indian Navy has been put on alert for relief efforts.

Two Indian Naval ships Ranvir and Khanjar are standing by to proceed to the most affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, the logistic support including providing medical aid.

Speaking to ANI, Dr. S Balachandran, Director of Meteorological Department (MeT) said that "the cyclone is about 138 km east of Nagapattinam and is moving at a speed of 10 km per hour. The outer band related to spiral band associated with the cyclone has entered the land and we are expecting a landfall between 10 pm to 12 am".

"We are constantly monitoring the situation and are in touch with the state government and the concerned authorities. Heavy rainfall is expected in some areas," he added.

Cyclone Gaja is expected to make a landfall between Pamban and Cuddalore first. In an attempt to mitigate damage to properties and human lives, the state administration headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has planned to evacuate around 20,000 people residing on the coastal line and moving them to relief camps.

On Wednesday, Cuddalore District Collector V Anbuselvan, who visited the possible affected areas, said all private and government schools in Cuddalore would remain closed due to the cyclonic storm.

Apart from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh is also bracing for the impact of the cyclone which is likely to bring heavy downpour and strong winds to several parts of the region for the next couple of days.